Shattered
by EwanJamieMcLaughlin
Summary: A month ago, their island was rocked, and now their family has been shattered into tiny pieces. How will they pick them up? sequal to Fires in the North
1. In Jagged Pieces

_Author's Note:_

It seems I have a _lot_ of apologizing to do. So, best get it over with. First, I apologize that it took so long. WAY longer than expected. I was working steadily on that novel (sheer crap, I tell you!), and had some school issues. As well, I apologize for having to resort to using the ever-annoying s to separate scenes. As well, I apologize if they don't come through. I must also apologize to computer peoples for the "cookies" joke. That was bad, I know. Finally, I must apologize to all the Nancy Drew fans (especially those who've played SSH) reading this. I'm sorry. TERRIBLY sorry. This entire story will be completely cheesy. I mean, Henrik? C'mon. You can't tell me that's not cheesy. lol

As well, I must warn you that this one is more "teen" than my previous fanfics.

Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the sequel to "Fires in the North"-which by the way, you must read before this. Enjoy!

EJM

Chapter One: In Jagged Pieces

Virgil Tracy loved Tessa Highlander - he had to, after all, that is pretty much a necessity for a fiancée. He loved her soft, red hair. He enjoyed the way her smile told him everything he ever wanted to know. He dreamed of the day she and him would be united in marriage.

But at this very moment, he wanted nothing more than to ring her neck.

"So, then I thought, 'Polyester!' but, then I remembered how uncomfortable that can get, so I nixed that idea. Cotton crossed my mind next, but I mean, are we having a wedding, or a hoe-down?" Tess laughed as she took another bite of spaghetti.

Virgil sank lower into his chair. Picking fabrics was not something he wanted to do.

Jeff pretended to be paying attention from where he sat at the head of the table. Scott wasn't even trying. John and Tin-tin looked like they'd rather be someplace else. Gordon was just plain distracted, like he had been lately.

Tess looked directly at Virgil. "Silk is another option, but it's a bit more traditional than I think we were going for. I don't know - what do you think?"

Virgil hated those four words - _what do you think?_ _They will be my downfall_, he decided. Virgil sat up in his chair, and took her hand in both of his. He looked deeply into her eyes as he said, "I'm sure that you will better know which fabric will suit our wedding best." He resisted the urge to add, _because I don't give a s-_

"Are you sure?" Tess asked, slight hurt in her eyes, but more laughter. "It is your wedding too, Pooky."

Scott's head shot up. "Whoa, rewind and freeze! _Pooky!_ Did she just call you _Pooky_!" The entire family looked in his direction.

He turned to Tessa. He had an unamused smile on his face. "I thought we'd already had the discussion on the name 'Pooky', _Mudrashka_."

Tess's eyebrows shot up. Her lips drew into a tight line. "It was a slip of the tongue. Now, back to this wedding, _why_ don't you want a say in this?"

He turned away slightly. He took a bite of his dinner. "I think we need our priorities straight. I don't think we need to be selecting fabrics when we don't even know _where_ or _when_ we're going to be married. Can we wait until after dinner for this?"

Some would assume that Virgil was trying to weasel his way out of this by suggesting talking about it later. But Tess caught his slight glance towards Scott, and replied with a smile, "Sure, darling . . . so, how was your day?"

Scott was used to the pity. He was used to the saddened expressions. He was used to the feeling of his heartache. He was used to depression. He was even used to the thoughts of suicide roaming in his head.

But he wasn't used to the only woman he loved being gone.

_How did my life get this messed up?_ Scott thought, sitting on the balcony, staring at the sunset.

First his mom had died. He wanted to help her so bad, but there was no way. She disappeared, and three days later, her name was on the 'recovered' list. His heart had snapped like a twig. He had to help his dad raise his younger brothers. It's something no one should've had to go through.

Then Tessa had washed up. His heart had soared when she took an interest in him. But when they broke up, he was devastated. Sure, he'd been the one who'd unfairly blamed her for things her father had done, but then she would not forgive him. She would not take him back. Tess had moved towards Virgil. He figured it was just a rebound thing, but they got engaged . . . that didn't exactly help him.

Finally, Alana Fitzgerald showed up. He hated her. His feelings for her ran deep. He'd had it with females by that point. He wanted none on his island, even if only for only a few weeks. But then he'd fallen in love with her . . .

Scott pushed the unpleasant thoughts from his head. He used to engulf himself in his missions, but now, he could only just keep his focus. His pain had intensified. He felt like he would never be whole. Every time he watched Virgil kiss Tessa, or noticed the expression Tin-tin gave Alan, he remembered Lana. He often wondered if this was what his father felt whenever he looked at his sons. Alan even looked like their mother . . . as much as a male could.

Lana had died in a plane crash. Her plane had been shot down by people who were angry at her for capturing their boss. There had been no survivors, and no bodies had ever been recovered.

Scott had cried so many tears, he thought he'd dry up. But they still came.

"Jane, darling, wake up."

Jane pretended to be asleep.

The patient voice grew slightly sterner. "Jane, it's time for your blood work."

_Oh, yeah, that'll help me get up_.

"Jane. I _know_ you're awake."

Jane pulled the covers over her head. "I'm dead. That means _no needles_."

Nurse Bluefoot rolled his eyes. "Jaaaane . . . we _need_ to take that blood. I know you don't like it, but we _have_ to, so we can keep an eye on your condition."

"The artist formally known as Jane is currently TDL, AWOL, NIM and generally, not interested. But, please, leave a message."

His smile widened. He turned to leave. "Fine. I'll just have to tell Dr. Greg you don't want him to preform your blood work."

Jane hopped out of bed faster than a fox in a chicken coop. "I'm up - where is he?"

It was common knowledge that Jane and Dr. Greg had a bit of a thing for each other. It was also good blackmail.

Nurse Bluefoot pointed her in the direction to the door. "Right this way, dear."

Gordon checked his watch. Midnight - perfect. He checked the halls from his bedroom door. Clear. He quietly tip-toed it to the computer on his father's desk. It was the only one connected to the internet.

He checked once more before logging online. The last thing he wanted right now was for his life to become as "public" as his brothers'.

"Please enter your username and password," the computer prompted.

GordotronVal43

Once more he checked before entering his password. He was very paranoid by this.

GordotronVal43

onehotpranksta

He hit enter, and waited to be logged in. Finally the screen he wanted popped up. He got right down to business. When all was done, he made sure he logged off, and deleted his cookies (before running to the kitchen to replace them). He snuck back into his room as quietly as he snuck out. He was snuggled in his bed, picking peaches in the fruit-laden garden of his dreams, by 1 am.

"So, Muddy, have you picked your bride's maids yet?" Virgil asked with a smile.

Tessa turned with a sarcastic one in return. "Call me 'Muddy', 'Rashy', or 'Mudrashka' once more, and I _will_ slap you, Pook-face."

He held his hands up in surrender. No one in his right mind would let himself be slapped by Tess. She had mastered it. "Fine, Tess. Have you picked your bride's maids?"

They had been engaged for about a month now. They were having trouble figuring out the fundaments of getting married. It's very hard to figure these things out when you live thousands of miles away from civilization. The only real thing they knew for sure at this point was it was going to be a long engagement.

Tess thought for a minute. "I guess Tin-tin and Penny are my choices."

Virgil nodded, having expected that answer. He thought for a moment. "Wait, then who will be your maid of honour?" he pointed out.

She smiled. "I have an idea." She leaned over from her seat next to the pool to whisper a name in his ear.

It took a moment for Virgil to register what she'd said. He laughed. "I'd pay good money to see them in a dress."

She smiled. "But they're okay, right? I mean, you don't have any problems with my choices, do you?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not. They're fine choices."

She smiled. "Good. Now, _you_ have an important decision to make."

Virgil groaned.

She looked at him sternly. "Virgil, you _have_ to have a best man."

Virgil turned to look at her. "Imagine this: you have 4 siblings, and you have to pick between them."

She smiled. "Virgil, it's not that bad. You have _three_ siblings to choose from, and you can always pick your father."

Virgil leaned back, thinking over what she was saying. He looked at her again. "It's not that simple, Tess. I wish it were."

Scott was walking along the beach - again. This had become an unconscious ritual for him. He would walk out, and stare into the Atlantic Ocean in which she had gone. He wondered where her body rested.

Scott was sure that he'd only ever love Lana. She had been his world - heck, she still was. He thought about her every second, even though she wasn't there. Sure, it had only been a month or so since she'd vanished, and he was probably in the normal stages of grief, but it hurt more than he wanted it to.

He walked up to the house. He figured if he surrounded himself with something - even a family who was clearly happy despite his grief.

He opened the door to find Tess in the living room talking to Tin-tin. "Um, Tin-tin, dearest cousin, would you mind doing me a teeny-weeny little favour?"

Tin-tin looked at her suspiciously. "If it's anything to do with telekinesis, forget it."

Tess smiled. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in being one of my bride's maids?"

Tin-tin's eyes widened. "Seriously!" She got to her feet. "Yes! Of course! I'd love to!"

Tess smiled as her cousin hugged her. Tess had that grin that told them she knew her cousin would say yes.

Then, Tessa turned to John with that same expression. The entire family laughed.

John stared at her, wide-eyed. "Oh, no! You're _not_ getting me in a dress!" he proclaimed.

The entire family guffawed including Tessa.

She smiled as she looked at John again. "John, I would be so happy if you would be my dude-of-honour."

John smiled. He thought for a moment. "Hey, sure, why not?" There reined a chorus of "aw"s from the family as she hugged him.

Scott smiled, but was weeping again inside (much like he always was). He turned to leave the happy family alone.

Gordon snuck out again. _Crap,_ he thought, _look's like Dad's still up._

His father was sitting in his desk. He worked late some nights - on what, heaven only knows.

"Gordon, what are you doing up?"he questioned, surprised.

Gordon faked a yawn, showing off by stretching his arms. "Oh, you know, just trying to relax so I can go to bed. Say, shouldn't you be in bed? All work and no play makes dad a dull . . . dad."

Jeff cocked an eyebrow, not buying it. "What do you want, Gordon?" He went back to his typing.

"Well . . ." Gordon tried to cook up a good lie. "Um, I was just . . . well, never mind. It's not important."

Jeff looked over at him. "Does this have anything to do with you getting up in the middle of the night to use my internet?"

Alarms were going off in Gordon's head. _Busted_. "Whatever do you mean, father dearest?" he asked, knowing when he said it that it sounded phony.

Jeff stared. "Oh, you know what I mean. Go back to bed now, Gordon."

He turned and did what he was told, wondering how much his father knew.

Scott sat by the pool, admiring the beach. He'd sat so many times with Lana on that beach . . . well, okay, it was only once or twice, but they'd only been a couple for a week.

He was smelling the fresh roses in Kyrano's garden. He'd set one at sea awhile ago for Lana. His one wish was that it floated where ever she was.

The only hope he had now was that she was in a better place. One where she was happy.

"Dinner's ready, Scott," Kyrano called to him from the door. Scott got up and walked to where he stood. Scott followed Kyrano to where the food lay on the table, the rest of the family was waiting.

He sat down in his customary spot next to his father and across from John. Virgil sat on his other side. They said grace, and began to pass around the salad.

"So, John, only two more days left on the island," Jeff tried to start a conversation.

John nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"Do you ever wish you could spend more time with your little brother?" Tess asked, taking a bite of her salad.

John thought. He smiled. "No way."

There were giggles around the table before he added, "Just all the time."

There was silence. Tessa felt bad for throwing a stone into the mood. She wished there was something she could do.

But they had no idea that the awkward dinner silence was the least of their problems.

Some people have enough sanity left to deal with life after grief. Scott had decided he was definitely not one of those people.

Most people will go through those famous steps of denial, anger, etc. until they reach acceptance. Scott seemed to be stuck in denial. But the strange thing is, it wasn't this surreal feeling most people in denial get ; it felt as though everyone around him were simply lying.

Scott loved Lana with all his heart and soul. He wanted nothing more than for her to be there with him. Even if he knew she was in Canada, he would be happy.

Scott looked down from where he sat on one of the tallest rocks on Tracy Island.

_It would be so easy to jump_, he thought, _Then I could be with her._

Scott got up, and walked right to the edge. It was about a hundred foot drop straight into water that was so deep, none of the boys had ever touched the bottom.

He looked behind him, beside him, and in every other general direction. The coast seemed clear. He looked down again. He lifted his head and closed his eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he prepared to jump.

His eyes suddenly opened, and he straightened, turning. He'd heard a twig snap, and thought someone was coming. He took a couple of steps away from the edge, inspecting the area around him.

Nothing. His imagination was overreacting. Still, it caused him to rethink his position.

_I can't do this to my family,_ he reasoned. He took one last, longing look at the edge as he walked towards the house again.

_Yet._

Virgil sat on the couch as he watched Tessa. She stood by the large window, watching Thunderbird 3 trave into space to drop off her best friend.

"Virgil?"

"Yes?"

She turned to look at him. "When you thought I was dead, how did you get over it?"

He pondered a moment, remembering in his mind. "I didn't."

"Well, what were you feeling?"

He paused before speaking. "When your father almost killed you, I had _many_ feelings going through my head."

"Like what?" Tess was _full_ of questions.

Virgil pursed his lips. "Determination. Grief. Overwhelming guilt at saying the things I said to you . . . but I remember having a small ray of hope that you were still alive inside me. Why?"

She walked over and sat in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm trying to get an insight into Scott's head. He doesn't just seem grief-stricken, he seems down-right depressed."

Virgil shrugged. "That's just part of grief sometimes."

Tess was fascinated. "You said you felt a ray of hope. What was that like?"

Virgil leaned back, trying to remember. "It was odd . . . it was like, no matter what, I still had this small hope that you would come out of there alive. It was almost as though I knew it." He turned to look her directly in the eyes. "But my grief was a lot different from what Scott's going through. There was still hope for you, but Lana is definitely dead. No one could survive that."

Tess cocked her head and looked at him like he was being an idiot. "Virgil, you're forgetting," she began ticking them off on her fingers, "I alone have survived a ship wreak, a fatal allergy, and my father slitting my throat. Not to mention that time Jeff caught me making out with you in the pool. I think _anything_ is possible in this family."

Gordon had the mission impossible theme song stuck in his head. He crept against walls, checking every few steps to make sure no one was around. He soon found himself in the living room, and relaxed when he found it empty.

The clock on the wall read 2 am. Gordon snuck to the computer, and logged on to the internet. He quickly went into his instant messenger service, hoping that he wasn't too late.

He let out a sigh of relief when one of the few names was online. He was about to send a message, when one popped up.

HenrikMan204: You're late. _Very_ late. :(

Gordon quickly typed out his response.

HoboJoe214: Sorry . . . couldn't get on.

HenrikMan204: Why is that? o.O

HoboJoe214: Got busted . . . you know how it is. rolleyes

HenrikMan204: I don't see why this should be kept a secret. You'll have to tell your dad about us sooner or later.

HoboJoe214: Yeah, but you don't know Dad . . . he's not exactly . . . _open-minded _when it comes to things like this.

HenrikMan204: But this is really important to you - you _have_ to tell him.

HoboJoe214: Look, I'll tell him _later_. My family's messed up enough as it is right now. They don't need me to add to their problems.

Virgil was sitting at the piano, only a day or so after Gordon's latest online escapade. He was waiting for his fiancée to come out. This was their unspoken ritual. He would play, and she would come. They had started this not long after Tess had washed-up. They'd continued it ever since.

Sure enough, Tess was soon sitting next to him on the piano bench. She used to sit on the sofa adjacent to the piano, but had moved closer about the time they'd started dating.

He played a new song he'd written for her. There were no lyrics yet, but she still melted when she heard it. By now, he'd written 5 songs (all about her) and they were all playing on various radio stations around the clock.

He stopped playing for a minute, and just drew her close, holding her. He loved her. Virgil often wondered why he'd waited so long in asking her to marry him.

He supposed he'd been in denial. Everyone had always said it would be Scott who'd be the first to get married (assuming _any_ of the Tracy brothers - notorious among various College and University campuses for being ladies' men). It felt kind of weird jumping ahead of his brother, but it also felt very right. It was strange though, as well.

His dad had taken him aside a week or so ago. Jeff felt he'd needed a reminder of what was written down in his will. It stated that the first married Tracy son and his wife shall inherit the island. If none of the boys were to marry, than the eldest (Scott) would take over. Scott had always known he would someday inherit the island, and now . . . Virgil felt he was robbing his brother of what was rightfully his.

Tess held him back, though she was half-asleep. He kissed her on the forehead. "Why don't you go sit on the couch dear, if you're tired?"

She shook her head, but her eyes were closed. "I want to stay with you."

He smiled, and let go of her. She still held his waist, and snuggled into his side as he began to play a softer song.

Virgil was playing, but he wasn't watching anything but Tess. He couldn't get his mind around how much she looked like an angel, half asleep. He stopped playing, and gently pulled her hands off of him - quite reluctantly. He got up, and picked her up into his arms. He walked over to the couch, where he laid he down, so she could rest.

Tess smiled, but didn't open her eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered back, sitting down next to her on the couch, realizing how tired he himself was.

_Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a moment,_ he thought, leaning back against the couch.

Dr. Peterson was flipping through some papers on his clipboard, staring in complete concentration when suddenly everything went black.

"Guess who?" an annoyingly perky voice asked.

He smiled in recognition. "Hmmm . . . Mr. Van der Hune?"

"Nope," the girl laughed.

"Jane? Lexi? Nurse Bluefoot?"

"Nope, nope and nope." There was a giggle.

Dr. Peterson shrugged. "Well, I give up. Who are you?"

The hands were removed from his face, and he turned around to see a 5-year-old standing on a chair. She held her hands out in a gesture of surprise. "It's me! Livvy!"

He laughed. "Of course it is! How could I be so silly?" He slapped his forehead in a pretend gesture of stupidity.

Libby laughed (Libby couldn't pronounce her own name). "Because you are, silly!"

"And, uh, what is silly doing for lunch today?" an eery feminine voice sounded.

He turned to see who'd asked. He smiled. "Simone. Hi. What brings you here?" He lifted Libby up into his arms.

Simone walked towards them with a creepy smile on her face. "I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch? Unless you had other plans, of course." She smiled with her deep red lips. It was common knowledge that almost _every _woman in the hospital wanted Greg Peterson. It was also common knowledge that Simone was one of those women, and that what Simone wanted, Simone got.

Greg opened his mouth to reply when Libby beat him to it. She folded her arms in a dominant gesture, and replied snottily, "He's having lunch with me, _Sim-own_."

He smiled and shrugged. "Guess I have plans. Sorry, Simone, maybe another time."

Simone cocked an eyebrow, and gave him a curt smile. "Maybe," she replied in her smooth British accent, walking away.

Greg turned to Libby gratefully. "Thank you _so_ much."

She laughed. "No problem." She stuck her chubby little thumb up.

"WHAT ON TRACY-FREAKING-ISLAND IS GOING ON HERE!"

The shout could've awoken the army. In all of 3 seconds, every person living on that freaking island was awake. In about 5 more seconds they'd all be up trying to figure out what was going on.

Jeff began spouting out random four-letter-words, with phrases like, "NOT IN THIS HOUSE!' and 'WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!' in-between them.

Virgil woke up, very disoriented. What was his father yelling about? Why was he standing in front of him, having a hairy fit? Virgil took a quick glimpse at the world around him. His eyes went wide when he saw where he was.

Virgil muttered under his breath, "Oh, shoot."

Tess was awake too. Only she realized sooner than he had what Jeff was yelling at.

Virgil probably should've gotten up right then, but he was in such shock . . .

Tess did the only thing she could think of. She pushed Virgil away so she could get up. He followed her lead. By now, the entire household was in the living room.

Tess and Virgil frantically tried to explain themselves.

"Dad, it's not what it looks like!"

"I had nothing to do with this!"

"Nothing happened!" They both shrieked.

Jeff exploded, with my bystanders nearby. "SILENCE! Are you _trying _to tell me that I came in here to find you two . . . what? Playing doctor? No!"

"Dad, please-" Virgil tried to reason with him.

Jeff stuck his hand out to silence him. His voice was calm, but they knew from the tone he was about to kill something. "Let me tell you about my morning. My alarm went off about 10 minutes ago. I got up, and dressed - _more_ than I can say for you two, in your pyjamas. I'd had a heck of a night. I'd had to put of with piano music at midnight _and_ a headache. Now, all I wanted this morning was an Advil and a cup of coffee. Maybe even a newspaper. But when I got to the living room, do you know what I found? Does _anyone_ here know what I found?" He spread his arms apart, open for suggestions from the room.

Tess tried. "Dad, it was an accident." Normally, when she called Jeff "Dad", he'd bend like a twig. But not this time.

He motioned again for silence. "I walked into the living room, expecting it to be completely empty. But instead, I find my son - whom I'd _thought_ I'd raised to be a _gentleman_ - lying on top of his fiancée, looking pretty comfortable. And, now, I'm being told _it was an accident!_"

"I fell asleep," Virgil tried to explain. "I was playing the piano, and Tess was tired, so I helped her unto the couch. I was tired, so I just leaned back on the couch, and rested my eyes. I guess I fell asleep . . ."

Jeff closed his eyes, and placed a finger to his temple. "This is giving me an even bigger headache than before. We'll talk about this _after_ I've had my coffee . . . and Advil." He walked away, signalling that the conversation was over.

The room looked toward Tess and Virgil in almost perfect unison. Then they all preceded to shudder in the same manner and walk away.

Virgil turned to Tessa. "We're in big trouble."

Tess's eyes were wide. She nodded. "There's the understatement of the year."

" . . . and, in _addition_ to that, the both of you are suspended from any missions for the next month."

Tess's face was buried in her hands. Her head shook, repeating the words "This is so unfair," over and over. Virgil's eyes were closed, and his head hung.

Alan and Tin-tin were sitting in the same room, the only others for the moment. "Dad, that's a little harsh . . . like, I can understand Virgil's punishment, but we'll be needing Tess. If you hadn't noticed, she's the best pilot for Thunderbird One, and Scott's not exactly stable enough to fly on his own."

"He's right, Mr. Tracy," Tin-tin added.

Jeff held up his hand. "Scott is _fine_. He's getting over Lana well. It takes a long time to get over the person you love dying, _believe me_. He's fine. It's normal. I'll have Tess on ground helping, but she's still just that - grounded."

Tess turned to him. "Jeff, I know I've said this dozens of times now, but _nothing_ happened. _Nothing_."

"But something could have. You two simply should have taken more responsibility."

Virgil tried to wipe the bad mental images that were floating inside his head away.

Jeff ignored his son's shuddering. "That's another thing, too. And that's why I brought you two in here as well, Alan, Tin-tin. This applies to you, too."

Alan and Tin-tin exchanged looks.

Mr. Tracy laced his fingers. "This situation with boyfriends/girlfriends on my - yes, _my_ - island has gotten far out of hand. I know that Tess and Virgil are engaged, and I respect that. I also know that Alan and Tin-tin are also very serious about each other. However, I want no more public displays of affection in my house. _None_. No making out, no kissing, limited hugging, no sitting in each other's laps. Holding hands is alright, but none of the other stuff."

Four heads turned at once. "WHAT!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"I'm engaged, for Cripe's sack!"

"What did _I_ do!"

"Ths is so unfair, this is so unfair, this is so unfair . . ."

Jeff held up a hand to silence them. "Not in my house! It's disgusting, and it's depressing for those of us who will likely be single for awhile. Besides, you don't have a choice." He had a sick grin on his face. Jeff knew that they wouldn't be happy about this, but he also knew that in time they would fully understand his reasons.

The four of them groaned. Tess's head was back in her hands.

Scott had been excited when he'd heard about the ban. This would probably help him get over Lana. But, it was still kind of unfair. He knew Virgil well, and knew that nothing happened. His brother was not that kind of man.

Scott was sitting on the couch, next to Tess, reading the newspaper. She was reading over his shoulder (which was annoying him terribly). Virgil was studying them from the other couch, and Gordon was noisily tapping away at the computer. Jeff was out for a walk.

He turned the page. "Hey! I was reading that!" Tess protested.

He turned to her and smiled. "Tough."

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes jokingly. She held no grudge against him.

He went back to reading the paper, when he was interrupted by his youngest brother's frantic calls.

"Frodo! Come, Frodo! Frodo, where _are_ you!"

Which was followed by Tin-tin:

"Frodo! Frodo, sweetie - come out!"

Alan appeared in the doorway, his face flushed with worry. "Have any of you seen Frodo?"

Tess blinked. Virgil and Gordon shook their heads. "Nope," Scott added.

Alan's shoulders sagged, and he ran down the hall. "Frodo! Frodo, where ever the heck you are, come out! . . . _pl-ease?_ Frodo . . ."

Tess turned to Scott, her eyebrows drawn closely together. "Scott, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," he replied, not looking up.

She placed her head in her hand. "Who or what, pray tell, is Frodo?"

Scott turned to her, an equally questioning look on his face. "Are you saying that you've lived on this island for over a year, _and you don't know who Frodo is!_"

She shrugged. "So, who is he?"

Scott looked at her carefully and smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." He went back to his paper, a grin on his face. Gordon and Virgil secretly watched from across the room.

Tess was confused. She creased her forehead.

Whispering just loud enough so Scott and Virgil could hear him, Gordon commented, "3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . ."

Suddenly, she felt something odd against her neck and shoulder. She turned her head, and her eyes immediately popped out. The small mouth opened and closed playfully.

Tess jumped up. "Oh my gosh! Someone get it OFF OF ME!" She began to jump around in circles, screaming. "Get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!"

The three brothers fell back laughing. Alan immediately showed up again.

"Frodo!" he cried, lunging for Tess.

Tess stood still for a moment, while Alan removed Frodo from her shoulder. The small pigmy alligator chomped playfully at Tess, obviously teasing her.

Alan smiled. "Tess, this is Frodo. Frodo, this is Tess. Tin-tin got me him for my birthday a couple years back. He's a small breed of Alligator."

Frodo tried to climb back on Tess's shoulder. Tess jumped back.

Alan smiled. "I think he likes you."

Tess had a look of fear on her face. "Get that thing away from me!" she shrieked, running out the door to the beach.

"Okay, Scott, time to put out the fire."

Scott listened to Gordon. "F. A. B." He flew in closer to the burning oil rig, and waited just long enough to release the foam.

There was a flash of white smoke, and then . . . nothing.

Tess cheered from the base, where she had been briefly left alone. "Way to go, Scott! Perfect!"

"Thunderbird One from Thunderbird Two, nice shot Scott! Even Tess couldn't pull one of those off."

Tess rolled her eyes. "You do realise I'm listening don't you Gordon?"

"Oh, he does, believe me," Alan piped up, laughing. "And he realises when he gets back, he'll be getting it."

"Yes, make sure he remembers that." Tess smiled. "Virgil and I will get him good, now that we have nothing better to do." There was laughter from the entire group.

Jeff rejoined her. "You'll have plenty of work to do, _believe me_. This island could use a good cleanup." He turned to the speaker, "Time to come home boys, mission accomplished. You should be proud."

But Scott wasn't proud. He was depressed. He had nothing. No girlfriend to dream about. No island to look forward to . . . nothing.

Scott saw his brothers in Thunderbird 2 turning around to head home. Scott stayed where he was. He looked at the ground below him.

Scott estimated that he was well over 1000 feet in the air. A long way down. He turned once more to look at his brothers.

"Earth to Scott, time to come home," Jeff's proud voice boomed.

Scott awoke from his trance. He reached for the steering, turning east.

"Scott, what are you doing? You're heading in the wrong direction," Jeff pointed out, confused.

_Goodbye, Dad_, Scott thought. He hit the acceleration and pointed his craft downward.

Tess's eyes widened. "Scott, no, don't! SCOTT! STOP!"

Gordon and Alan heard the screech from over the radio. Gordon looked over to see his brother's craft taking a nosedive. _Oh, no_.

"See why Tessa should've come now, Dad!" Alan thundered, as Gordon turned the Thunderbird around.

"SCOTT! STOP! It won't solve anything!" Gordon yelled.

"NO! Scott! This is not how you deal with grief!" Tess yelled.

"Scott!" Jeff yelled, desperate, "This is your father! Don't do this! It's not worth it! I'll take you off of missions for awhile, give you a vacation, _anything_! Just don't do this!"

Scott looked at the radio. "Why should I? Can you bring her back? No! _Nothing_ could possibly help me!"

Tess leaned into the radio. "Scott, listen to me! You don't want to do this!"

"If it means I can be with her, I'll do it!" He was getting closer to the ground.

"It's not what Lana would have wanted! She would have wanted you to die with dignity, not like this!" Tess yelled.

There was silence. Everything was quiet. The dot on the tracking screen stopped. It was as if time stood still. The Gordon's voice came over the radio.

"He's turning around." A wave of relief engulfed them.

Jeff fell into his chair. Tess leaned against the desk. Virgil was next to her, making sure she was okay. Tin-tin let out a huge breath.

Tess turned to Jeff. "I guess we underestimated his depression."

Scott was sitting on his bed, having said nothing at all since landing safely at home. He held a rose, stolen from Kyrano's garden, and he rubbed it back and forth in his fingers. Scott just stared at it like it was all he had left to stare at.

His family now knew how depressed he was. They knew he was a time bomb, and that they had been ignoring it. Finally, maybe they would pay him respect.

Then again, maybe they'd just ship him to a mental facility.

He fell back against the sheet on his bed. He let the rose slip slowly from his fingers onto the floor, hoping that all his memories of Lana would go with it. They stayed.

He sighed. Only two things remained certain right now - number one, his dad wasn't going to let this slide. _Something_ was going to happen to him.

Number Two? He was definitely not getting over Lana anytime soon. If ever.

Scott sat up slowly, having heard someone knocking on his door. "Come in," his voice croaked, as if he had not spoken in years.

Jeff slowly opened the door, a worried look on his face.

Scott slumped back against his bed, aware of the discussion coming. Jeff was worried. More than worried, actually. Up until now, he'd never expected any of his sons would ever try to commit suicide, especially Scott.

"Son, how are you?" Jeff asked, having no idea how to start this type of conversation.

Scott rolled his eyes. "Wonderful, Dad. Just wonderful." He smiled sarcastically.

Jeff recognized that he had just asked what was possibly the stupidest question ever. "I know you're upset about Lana, Scott, but there's nothing that can be done. The men who killed her are on trial as we speak."

"Dad, I don't care what happens to them . . . nothing on _earth_ could be bad enough for them." Scott sat up on his elbows.

Jeff frowned. "You need to learn to forgive, Scott."

Scott sat fully upright, full anger in his voice. "How can I dad! They took away the one person I truly _loved_, and now I'm a mess because of it! You expect me to forgive them?" Scott knew in hindsight that he should've stopped there, but he was in the middle of a whirlpool of emotion. "How would you feel if Mom was murdered as opposed to dying in an avalanche!"

Jeff felt like his son had stabbed him. He hated the topic of their mother. Every time she was in a conversation, all he saw was her pleading face vanishing in a mask of white, stealing her from their lives forever. His heart had ripped in two, and the only thing that kept him from dying were his sons.

Scott realized he'd hit a nerve. "Dad-"

Jeff held up his hand. "This isn't about your mother, Scott. This is about Lana. I _know_ it will be hard for you to get over her, but someday you will. Right now, though, I don't think you're stable enough to do much of anything."

Scott was confused. "What do you mean?"

Jeff turned to him. "I'm sending you away on vacation. You can pick the location, or I can do it for you, but either way, you're going away until you feel . . . relaxed."

"What! Dad, you can't be serious! We're short-handed as it is, what with Tess and Virgil _both_ being suspended! They _need _me." Besides that, Scott didn't want to go.

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "We managed before Tess came with you 4 boys on ground, and then there was almost always one of you with nothing to do but ground work. And, if we need her, there's always Tin-tin. And of course Brains. He _did_ design these crafts. The least he can do is fly them. I'm not worried about _us_, Scott, I'm worried about _you_."

Scott searched his brain for an answer. "But, it's our busiest time! The summer heat can create fires and draughts! We need extra people!"

Jeff laughed. "Scott _every_ season is our busiest time. Summer there are fires, fall - more fires from leaves, winter - lots of snow, very hazardous, as we _all_ know, and then there's spring, which brings floods from the melting snow. Then there's always the possibility of hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes. Anyway you slice it, Scott, you have no reason to stay. You _need_ a break."

Scott fell back against the bed again. "You realize this means I hate you?"

Jeff laughed lightly. He patted his son's leg before getting up to leave. "It's okay, son - I still love you."


	2. Discovered Under Coffee

Chapter Two: Discovered Under Coffee

HenrikMan204: I've been giving it some thought, Gord, and I was wondering . . .

HoboJoe214: Wondering . . .?

HenrikMan204: Well, frankly Gordon, I was wondering if you wanted to come visit for awhile. Two weeks maybe? You could stay at my place, I've got room, or at least, can make some for ya.

(Long Pause)

HenrikMan204: Well . . . what do you think?

(Pause)

HoboJoe214: Frankly . . . I'm not sure.

HenrikMan204: Not sure? How can you be 'not sure'! Have you any idea how much time I've put into this? This little thing of ours isn't something concocted over tea! You can't bail on me!

HoboJoe214: No, no, no, you've got me _all_ wrong. This has nothing to do with you or I.

HenrikMan204: Explain.

HoboJoe214: I'm having . . . "family issues", to put it lightly.

HenrikMan204: Help me out here. Toss me a bone. I _think_ you can trust me. Family issues can be anything from 'I just found out my dad murdered his ex-wife' to 'My uncle lost at an eating contest'.

(Pause)

HoboJoe214: My brother tried to commit suicide . . . and we only barely stopped him.

(Short Pause)

HenrikMan204: Oh, gosh . . . look, I'm sorry. I understand. Maybe another time.

HoboJoe214 HAS LOGGED OFF

Tessa watched from the window of the living room as Scott's plane flew off towards London airport. She still wasn't sure if Jeff's decision to let Scott choose his own destination was a good one.

The door opened, and Jeff walked in, having seen his son off. Tess turned towards him, not sure how to phrase what she was about to say.

"Jeff . . ." she began, trailing off.

He looked at her, startled at someone saying anything. Very few words had been shared within the house in the past couple of days. "Yes, Tess?"

Tess bit her lip before speaking. "Well, see, I'm not saying you're wrong but . . . do you think it was wise to let him choose his own vacation spot?"

Jeff sighed. "I promised him he could so that he'd know we understood him."

Tess was exasperated. "But Saskatchewan? Jeff, no matter how you slice it, that's not good for him. You have to draw the line somewhere."

Jeff was equally frustrated. "I know. He'll probably only get a reality check, instead of a therapeutic vacation. But I made a promise, and what he needs most now is to know that he can count on his family."

Tess wiped her eye where a tear was forming. She'd cried a lot in the past few days. "He loved her more than anything. He was willing to take his own life to be with her. I just hope he finds what he needs in Canada."

Greg was once again checking over the paperwork of a patient, when everything went black.

"Guess who!"

Greg was not in the mood. He was just about to check on Mr. Van der Hune, and that always made him frustrated. Mr. Van der Hune was a very pessimistic man, who had fallen from a display at a museum, and gotten a fair sized bump on the head. Greg Peterson was the hospital's amnesiac specialist, though when patients were low, he also did pediatric work.

He sighed. "Libby, I don't have time to play . . . I have to check up on Mr. Van der Hune. I'm sorry."

There was a giggle. "I'm not Libby . . ."

He was confused. The voice _did_ sound older. "Excuse me?"

The hands covering his eyes were lifted. He turned around to see one of - in his opinion - the most beautiful people he'd ever seen. "Jane . . ." He smiled at her in her horrible hospital gown.

She made a pouty face. "Do you _really_ have to check on Mr. Van der Hune?"

He sighed. "Yes, I do. But I'll only be about 20 minutes."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay then." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before letting go. Jane flashed him a grin as she walked away.

Greg felt as though he would fly down the hall.

As his plane landed on the flat plains of Saskatchewan, Scott stared out at the corn fields and buildings that lay on the ground below. Even though he was landing in the capital, the airport was on the outskirts of Regina, and the vast farmlands were completely visible.

Scott knew that his family probably thought he was crazy for choosing to come here. But he had to see it. He had to see Lana's family. He needed to see the only other people who'd cared about her the way he did.

The plane touched down, and he quickly moved off to claim his luggage. The flight had been rather boring - honestly, who wants to watch a bunch of crappy movies for 6 hours? He was looking forward to heading off on his quest to find the Fitzgeralds.

It was 6 pm. Nothing good on TV. All the books in the house read over twice - at least. Raining - no good for swimming.

Simply put, Tessa Highlander was one bored woman.

She looked from where she stood by the window to where her fiancé was playing the piano across the room. She couldn't even sit down and enjoy his music without Jeff reprimanding her.

Tessa noticed the computer sitting on Jeff's desk. The high-sped internet access was begging to be used. It was one of the few things Jeff _hadn't _banned her from.

Virgil's eyes followed her as she sat down at his father's desk. He continued playing. He knew she would rather be sitting near him, but his father had forbidden it . . . for now, at least.

Tess turned on the computer, and patiently waited for the internet to connect. The prospect of checking her email was too tempting.

Jeff was completely oblivious to it, but each of the boys (plus Tess and Tin-tin) had their own email accounts. And, well, since Virgil and Tessa could barely talk to each other . . .

The new email sat at the top of her inbox. She smiled over at Virgil before clicking it open.

My Dearest Tessa,

I miss being with you more and more each day. I love you more than the day I asked you to marry me. I had hoped my father would give this up sooner, but it looks as though this wall between us won't be coming down for awhile.

Please know, my darling, that if it were at all possible, I would take you away and marry you, never to look back at my father's restraints again. But you know that you and I both are destined to stay here, so I shall have to wait until this storm of ours passes.

Always know that I love you.

Virgil

Tess could never imagine what he saw in her. She loved him dearly, but she knew that she herself was no prize. She was continually amazed by his poetic sense towards her.

She was just clicking the reply button when an Instant Message popped up, taking her by surprise.

HenrikMan204: Hey . . . you didn't tell me you'd be on.

Tess looked at the sender. She knew no one by that screen name - then again, she only ever talked to John. Still, she was curious.

HoboJoe214: John? That you?

Whoa. _HoboJoe214?_ None of the boys on this island used that screen name.

HenrikMan204: 'John'? Gord, what's up with you today? Who's John?

_Oh, it's Gordon_, she thought, _but why is the screen name different?_

HoboJoe214: Oh, sorry. I guess Gordon forgot to log out when he was on. This is Tess.

HenrikMan204: Oh. Okay. Sorry . . . wait, so, you live with him?

HoboJoe214: Yeah, us and the rest of our family.

HenrikMan204: Your and Gordon's family?

HoboJoe214: Yes. _Our _family.

HenrikMan204: So . . . has Gordon told you about me and him?

Tess was starting to get confused - which, considering it was Tess, wasn't saying much.

HoboJoe214: Um, no actually, he hasn't.

HenrikMan204: That's odd . . . don't people usually share important details with their family at least?

Tess was officially confused.

HoboJoe214: Technically, we don't share a family yet. I'm still engaged.

HenrikMan204: Oh. So, you don't know anything about me and Gordon?

Correction: Tess was _officially,_ _completely, and utterly_ confused.

HoboJoe214: No. I don't even know _who_ you are, but believe me, I'll be asking Gordon about it.

HenrikMan204: Gee, I hope I don't get him in trouble.

HenrikMan204: Oh, crap, I just realized what time it is. I really have to go. Nice meeting you, Tessa. Tell Gordon I said Hi.

HenrikMan204 HAS LOGGED OFF

Tess logged off as well, and was completely confused. Quickly, she logged out of her email, and went offline. She went into the start menu, frantically ready to do a search.

Quick at typing, she entered her search: HenrikMan204.

Five entries popped up. Saved IM conversations.

Tess gasped at some of the phrases.

_HenrikMan204: I don't see why this should be kept a secret. You'll have to tell your dad about us sooner or later._

_HoboJoe214: Yeah, but you don't know Dad . . . he's not exactly . . . _open-minded_ when it comes to things like this. _

_HenrikMan204: But this is really important to you - you _have_ to tell him. _

Another came up next:

_HenrikMan204: I have the pictures of me you wanted - I'll email them to you._

Finally:

_HenrikMan204: Not sure? How can you be 'not sure'! Have you any idea how much time I've put into this? This little thing of ours isn't something concocted over tea! You can't bail on me!_

Tess couldn't believe it. Of course, she and Gordon had never been close, but if he was having this kind of relationship with a stranger on the internet . . . how could she have been so blind?

"Virgil," Tess began, "is Gordon . . .?"

Virgil stopped playing. "Is Gordon . . . what?"

Tess pondered how to put it. "Is he . . . rooting for the other team?"

Virgil's forehead creased. "I don't follow."

Tess sighed in exasperation. "Is he a flamingo in the world of men!"

Virgil wrenched. "Ew! Heck no! My brother is definitely rooting for the home team. _Believe me_."

She coaxed him forward with her finger. "Come here, and read these. I know it's likely invasion of privacy, but I think we deserve to see this."

Virgil got up and walked over to the computer. He peered at the screen, and read over its contents.

He thought for a moment, biting his tongue. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this. I'm certain he's not . . . how you think. And I'm sure it's no big secret who this Henrik person is."

Tess's eyebrow arose. "Oh?" She closed the old conversations and pulled up the one she'd just had.

Virgil scanned it over. He hung his head. "Tess . . ."

"What?" she questioned.

He laughed slightly. "He thinks you're marrying _Gordon_, and that Gordon is going to get in trouble for keeping the fact that he has a social life a secret."

"Seriously!" She reread her conversation. "Oh, crap."

Virgil reassured her. "Tess, it was a harmless mistake. I'm sure there's nothing going on with Gordon that was meant to be kept a secret." Tess appeared to be somewhat assured.

Virgil, however, was shaken.

Scott tried to relax as he drove off from the big city, his hands shaking as he held the wheel of his rented Buick. He frequently shot glances at his map and the small piece of paper with the address on it.

He turned to look out through the windshield. Some people would just see an endless road lined with flatness and cornfields. Not Scott. What he saw ahead were cornfields filled with the thoughts roaming through his head, and a road leading him onward in his destiny.

A strange sound echoed through the car. It took Scott a moment to realize it was the cell phone he had shoved carelessly onto the backseat. He pulled over to answer it.

"Hello?" he asked into the phone.

"Scott!" his father's relieved voice called. "Good. You arrived okay. How was the flight? Why didn't you call?"

Scott rolled his eyes. His father worried too much. "I'm _fine_, dad. The flight went well. I suppose I was just too caught up in being here to call."

There was a pause on the other end. "Where are you now?"

Scott looked outside the window. "Saskatchewan. Some small town. I forget the name . . . passed the sign about five minutes ago."

There was a sigh from his father. "You're sure you're okay alone out there?"

"I'll be fine, dad. I swear."

Another pause. "Alright. Call me when you find a place to stay. Bye."

Scott flipped the phone closed, and turned the car back on. His dad could be such a pest sometimes.

–

The Tracys sat eating a quiet dinner of steak as Jeff sipped his coffee.

Tess and Virgil sat across from each other, a did Alan and Tin-tin. They seemed to be doing a fairly good job of ignoring him.

He sighed. Perhaps he had been a little _too_ strict with their punishment. And perhaps he shouldn't have punished Alan and Tin-tin as well.

But then again, he felt that they needed to know what it was like for Scott. Being cut off from the one you love was a terrible thing. He had also hoped that it would help Scott get over his missing Lana. It seemed to have only made things worse.

Jeff took a final bite of his steak. Perhaps he should lift the ban early. Then again, it was _so_ nice not to have to listen to music during the early hours of the morning. And not having to worry about walking in on an awkward moment was heavenly.

Tess was finishing up her steak too, he noticed.

"I was online today, Gordon," she said as though that should mean something to him.

"Yes?" Gordon prompted. To the untrained eye it would appear as though he was perfectly unaware of what she was getting at, but Jeff could tell his son was nervous.

Tess swallowed her steak with such unimaginable poise. "I found some rather interesting things-"

There was a small sound, and Tess shot a look at Virgil. He appeared to want her to watch what she said.

"-o-on eBay," she stumbled out.

Gordon's eyebrows shot up. "eBay? Since when do you shop on eBay?"

Tess seemed to be fishing for words. "Oh, not often. Today was my first time, really. Quite interesting actually."

Jeff suspected she would have gotten off without a hitch - if she had kept her mouth shut just a second longer.

"I never even realized you could buy fish online."

Virgil's hand slapped his face. Alan bit his lip.

Gordon remained collected, though he could tell he was centimetres away from laughter. "Yes. It's amazing that they ship all those little guppies without damage. The wonders of technology."

Tess smiled, having no idea she'd had the biggest "blonde moment" in probably the history of the island. "Such beautiful images too. Whoever thought of eBay was a genius."

"I'm sure they are, Tessa. I'm sure they are." Gordon held up his glass in a toast, while the others suppressed laughter.

–

HenrikMan204: Dude, you never told me you were getting married!

HoboJoe214: I'm _what!_

HenrikMan204: Don't try to hide it, Gord. I talked to her online two days ago. You _really_ shouldn't keep things like this a secret from a fiancée.

HoboJoe214: Whoa, whoa, whoa - back up the train! _Who_ were you talking to? Because I can tell you I have no plans to get married anytime soon.

HenrikMan204: Well, then how do you explain Tessa?

HoboJoe214: Tessa? TESSA! ROFLOL!

HenrikMan204: What is so funny!

HoboJoe214: Tess is my future _sister-in-law_. She's marrying my brother, Virgil.

HenrikMan204: Oh. Boy, do I feel like an idiot.

HoboJoe214: Don't sweat it. At least now I know that my personal life is safe . . . wait, you didn't tell her anything, did you?

HenrikMan204: No. But trust me, she'll be asking questions in a bit. In fact, I'm surprised she hasn't already started.

HoboJoe214: She tried. But then her future husband thwarted her attempts, and, to make a long story short, I now have license to tease her for the rest of her life about eBay.

HenrikMan204: eBay?

HoboJoe214: Don't ask. (BTW-check your email! I have decided on a name!)

–

Scott lay back on the uncomfortable bed. The only thing he could find to sleep in was a sleezy motel. It was 9 o'clock at night, and this was the only place still open with available rooms.

Scott had driven all day long. He still hadn't reached Lana's hometown. He felt exhausted. Jeff had called a grand total of five times. Each and every time, Scott knew his father was trying to say something, but it just could not come out.

_Only a few hundred miles more to go,_ he thought, as his weary mind drifted away, _I'll be there tomorrow. I swear, Lana, I'll be there._

–

Jane straightened her jeans as she heard a knock upon her door. She cleared her voice. "Come in," she said sweetly.

Greg entered, wearing a pair of jeans and a Rolling Stones t-shirt. "Ready?" he asked.

She smiled and grabbed his arm. Their first formal date. "I can't wait," she replied anxiously.

"Neither can I," he replied, a loving note to his voice. She blushed.

They carefully slipped out the back exit. The only way no one would see them - patients dating doctors wasn't necessarily frowned upon, but it wasn't smiled upon either.

He walked her down the street. "So, what have you been remembering lately?"

She sighed. "Nothing really. I keep having visions of that same man in my head. He must be someone important."

"Your father?" Greg suggested.

Jane shook her head. "I don't think so. My father is dead."

Greg was surprised. "Your father is dead? When did this happen? When did you remember this?"

Jane blinked. "He died . . a couple years ago. Along with my mother. I just remembered it now."

He smiled. "You amaze me sometimes. I do believe we shall find out who you are yet."

"I only wish I had a better name than 'Jane'," she sighed.

He stopped walking, and so did she. He turned to her, and cupped her chin with his hand. He stared into her eyes, and spoke softly. "On the contrary, 'Jane' happens to be the most beautiful name I've ever heard."

Jane smiled at him, and their lips met.

–

HoboJoe214: Um, you know about that thing you asked me about . . . about, a week ago? Not quite?

HenrikMan204: Not quite . . . I've been slightly busy. Which thing?

HoboJoe214: The thing about visiting?

HenrikMan204: Yes, I remember that thing now. :p

HoboJoe214: Well, maybe I could swing by for a couple of weeks. I'll have to talk to my dad (frankly things around here are getting depressing).

HenrikMan204: That's great, Gord! I can clear out some space in my apartment. You don't mind sleeping on a cot do you?

HoboJoe214: Nope, that's no problem. I probably won't be down for a few days at least. I'd rather get out there asap, is that going to be a problem?

HenrikMan204: tosses box Pardon? Sorry, I was getting ready.

HoboJoe214: See you in a few days then. ;)

–

As Scott approached the driveway, it was almost 1:30pm, but he saw no one outside - just a bunch of cornfields, and the occasional cow. His Buick rounded the corner, and a hound appeared, barking rather loudly.

A beautiful girl - or at least, that's what he thought she'd be under the coveralls, and messy ponytail.

"Scamp! Shuddup!" the girl yelled at the overweight beagle. She turned towards Scott, who stood by his car. "Sorry, he's all bark and no bite. Can I help you with somethin'?"

Scott took a deep breath. This was quickly getting to be too much for him. "I'm not sure."

The girl stared at him, and the dog circle her ankles. "Well, are you lost? Do you need directions?"

He closed his eyes, then reopened them. "I'm looking for someone . . ."

She cocked her head. "And who might that be?"

"That depends - are you Lana Fitzgerald's cousin?"

She swallowed hard, and her eyes went wide. "Come inside."

–

He sat at a cozy table over a cup of coffee. She sat across from him.

"My name is Samantha Fitzgerald - everyone calls me 'Sandy' though. I was her cousin," she had tears in her eyes. "She died little more than a month ago. It's been a struggle ever since.

"We've had to move Uncle Ed in, and call my father down frequently for help. I never realized she did so much . . . it's amazing how we don't appreciate people until they're gone." Her hand went to her mouth, and she sobbed quietly as tears streamed her face. Scott had to turn away, for fear the same thing might happen to him.

"I miss her _so_ much," Sandy cried, staring at him. "She wasn't just my cousin . . . she was my best friend. We shared everything. I'd give everything own up to have her back."

Scott reached put and held her hand. "Your cousin was a wonderful woman."

She sniffed. "I'm sorry. Now, how did you say you knew her?"

He let go. "My name is Scott Tracy. My father heads IR. She helped us before she died. At first, we were the worst of enemies, but then . . ."

"Then?" she prompted.

"We were completely in love right before she died. When she died, I almost killed myself. Well, actually, technically I tried twice." He looked into her eyes. "I loved your cousin more than anyone could know. She was my world."

And the two of them sat at the table crying for the longest time.

He'd done it. Scott had found his answer. She really was gone. He cried as though he'd never cried before.

–

Tess tried to relax as she took her morning shower. Usually the warm water would sooth her every thought, but this morning, there was so much to sooth.

How could her ex-boyfriend try to commit suicide? He'd never seemed fragile to her when they were dating. On the contrary, he seemed quite solid. She would never have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. But that wasn't her only problem.

Was her future brother-in-law gay? Gordon and her had never been close by any stretch. But had she really missed something that big?

Perhaps it was all a big misunderstanding. After all, Virgil had lived with him his entire life, and it came as a shock to him. But something was nagging at Tessa.

At first, she thought it was her own head. Then she realized there was something strange. She felt the back of her neck, and let out a scream that could awaken the dead.

She peeled the slimy alligator off of her neck, and let it drop on the floor of the shower. She hit the button to turn off the water, as she ran out of the shower. She continued screaming.

Tess quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself quickly as the door flew open to reveal Virgil, Alan, Gordon and Tin-tin.

She pointed at the small alligator now crawling out of the shower. She turned to Alan. "ALAN! GET THAT THING OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!"

He rushed past his brothers and scooped up Frodo. "Bad boy," he murmured. He quickly ran away from the glare Tess shot him, fearing her wrath.

She stood there, towel and all for a moment, scowling at the people in front of her. "What are you staring at! GET OUT!"

They didn't have to be told twice as they ran away as fast as they could. Tess slammed the door behind them, slumping to the floor in embarrassment.

–

Later in the day, the Tracy family was called gathered around in the living room. Jeff stood in front of his desk, towering over them.

Tess stood next to Virgil, listening intently, trying to forget the morning's chaos.

Jeff cleared his throat. "It has come to my attention that we don't have what one would call a decent-sized team right now. With John in space, Virgil and Tessa both suspended, and Scott over in Canada, we are left with two boys . . . plus Tin-tin and Brains, of course. Though, we could really use some extra hands."

Tess looked eagerly at Virgil. Maybe they were getting off the hook!

"Which is why I've asked Lady P to come for the next few weeks, until everything goes back to normal . . . or what passes as 'normal' in this family."

Tess was crestfallen. She and Lady P were on good terms - well, _now_ they were at least - but she _so_ wanted to reinstated. Being suspended might seem like a vacation to some, but it was really a boring, boring life. "Sounds good," she piped out.

Jeff smiled. "I'm glad you think so, because she'll be landing in five minutes."

–

As Lady Penelope steeped out of the plane, she sensed the normally beautiful island was being overseen by a heavy cloud.

She had been shocked when Jeff had explained the situation to her. She would have never thought any of the boys were capable of trying to commit suicide - let alone Scott. And the whole thing with Virgil and Tessa was completely perplexing.

She saw Jeff walking towards her followed by his children, and she tried to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks. If only Jeff could understand what she felt for him. If only he could move on from the death of his late wife.

"Hello, Penny," he said, taking her into his arms.

Penelope knew it was only a gesture of friendship, but every time he held her, her heart skipped a beat. "Good afternoon, Jeff," she said politely.

He pulled away. "It's good to have you here."

"It's good to be here." She smiled at him.

Tess rushed over to her. "Penny! Hey!"

"Hi, Tess!" she said, hugging her. Jeff stepped away, a stiff smile on his face.

Tessa pulled away. "Penny, I have a question for you . . ."

"Yes . . ." she replied cautiously.

Tess smiled. "Would you mind being one of my bride's maids?"

Penny lite up like a candle. "Of course not! I'd love to! Come on inside, we _must_ discuss wedding details!" The two ran off towards the house like a couple of school girls.

Parker came out then with two large suitcases. He stood next to Jeff.

"Women," they both said, shaking their heads.

–

HoboJoe214: Good news!

HenrikMan204: What?

HoboJoe214: My dad's friend just landed to help out - now he can't complain if I leave!

HenrikMan204: Wait, you _still_ haven't told your family about me!

HoboJoe214: I'm telling them tonight. I'm ready, I'm sure about it. My brother's not here to embarrass me, or you know, shoot me down, so I think I'm ready.

HenrikMan204: If you don't want to come over, you don't have to. I just thought it might be easier, you know.

HoboJoe214: No, I agree completely. It would be a lot easier if I was with you. That's why I want to come. Besides, I can't wait to see your work.

HenrikMan204: My work's nothing special.

HoboJoe214: I beg to differ. Your work is what drew me to you, after all.

HenrikMan204: And my life has never been better. Sorry, but I have to go now. Email me when you've figured out when you can come.

–

Tess sat talking with Lady Penelope in the corner. Since Penny had landed, they'd been sitting in there discussing nothing but the wedding. Virgil seemed happy, as he hated talking about fabrics.

"I was wondering what we could do for colours . . ." Tess began, "Obviously, I'll be wearing white. But what do you think the other colour should be?"

Penelope thought for a moment. "Have you thought about pink?"

Tess looked at her sarcastically. She shook her head. "Why do I even ask . . .?"

Alan and Tin-tin sat playing war with a deck of cards at a small table. They'd been at it for over an hour now, and people feared disturbing them. The looks on their faces were that of utter concentration.

Cards were slapped on the table. Presently Alan held the larger stack. Two aces. "War . . ." they both uttered under each other's breath. They carefully laid out their cards.

Virgil was sitting at the piano, attempting to do something no one had ever done before: teach Brains to play.

"Now this key here is middle C, the starting point. The notes are in alphabetical order, and range from A to G. This is a scale." He demonstrated by moving his right hand smoothly up and down the keys.

Brains tried to imitate him, making it sound more like an awkward cat walking on the keys than someone playing.

Virgil cringed. "That was . . . a good first try. It's a lot like math when you think about it, Brains. You have to count in your head as you play. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 . . ."

Brains tried again, with a slight more success.

Virgil thought for a moment, before smiling slightly. "Better . . ."

Yes, the rest of the family was relaxed and well-engaged in their own activities. But not Gordon. He stood before his father's desk, looking at the man staring back at him.

"Yes, Gordon?" Jeff announced. The rest of the family seemed to look up all of the sudden.

Gordon had practised his speech several times over in his head, yet he still shook. "W-w-well, you s-see . . ."

Jeff waited patiently. A crowd began to form. No matter what the appearance, everyone was bored. "Well, Gordon?"

Gordon took a deep breath. "I'm not sure where to begin, exactly. Well, I suppose I understand that with Scott gone, and Virgil suspended as well as Tess that we need all the hands we can get . . . but, I really would like some time off."

Jeff looked at his son like he was an idiot. "Right now?"

Gordon swallowed hard. "Well, see, I met this guy online, and I'd really like to go visit him for a couple of weeks-"

Tess suddenly spoke up. "Is that the friend who you've been mysteriously contacting for the past month!"

Jeff turned to her. "Tess, do you know something about this?"

Virgil shot her a pleading glance. Tess shot him a glance that told him he needed to let her say this. She stepped forward. "Yes I do, Jeff. I was online when I found this _Henrik_ messaging me. Then I found some other conversations between the two, and well . . ." She looked down.

"Well?" Jeff prompted.

Tess continued looking down for a moment before looking back at him. "Gordon is . . . he . . . well . . . he has 'other preferences', sir."

Fourteen eyes stared at her. "WHAT!"

Jeff's widened eyes turned to his second-youngest, who was also shocked. "Is this true!"

Gordon looked completely shell-shocked. "No way! _Where_ are you getting this from!" he spat at Tess.

She turned to him. "Oh, come _on!_ 'You have to tell them about us sooner or later'. 'Here are the pictures of me you requested'. How obvious can it get!" she spat back.

Gordon looked disgusted. "You have it completely backwards!"

"Oh really!"

"Yes! We're _business partners!_"

There was silence, followed by a collective, "What!"

Gordon sighed. "I was planning on telling you. _All_ of you. HenrikMan204 is my business partner. I wanted to do something to help Scott, so I went on the internet and found him on a message board, and joined to contact him. I explained to him who I was after he gave me proper ID. He's going to help me launch the _Alana Fitzgerald Emergency Ward _in Canada."

There was silence around the room. Then nervous laughter from Tess. "I feel like such an idiot."

He smiled. "It's okay. Anyone could've gotten it backwards." Gordon turned back to his father. "We've been making preparations for awhile now, but we both agree things would go a lot smoother if I could meet him."

Jeff looked perplexed. "Gordon, just how much have you told this man?"

"Only what he needs to know. As far as he knows, we are our own independently wealthy company who helps out various aerial armies - hence the secrecy. He also knows that Lana was a girl who my brother fell in love with, and died in an assassination." Gordon looked pleased.

Jeff thought for a moment. He sighed. "Fine. Tess and Virgil, you're both reinstated. But this means _double_ chores."

Tess and Virgil exchanged overly joyous expressions. "Of course!"

"That's great!"

"Thank you so much!"

Jeff nodded. He turned towards Gordon again. "Now, I want you back here in _two_ weeks. None of this staying-longer-than-necessary crap, understood? We're overly short-handed."

Gordon nodded importantly. "Of course, Dad."

Jeff stared at him blankly for a moment before replying. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get packing! You leave in the morning."

–

Scott scooped out the feed from the bin, and vigorously tossed it in front of a cow. Sandy was walking through the medium-sized barn, putting milkers on some cows, and taking them off of others.

"I noticed that there are very few cows in Saskatchewan . . ." Scott said, trying to make conversation as another cow was being fed.

There was a small laugh behind a large heifer. "Yeah, it was Lana's idea. Our family was originally straight crops. But when Lana took over, she wanted nothing of the sort. She'd have gone completely livestock if I hadn't have stopped her. She always had to do things her way, and her way was usually completely different from everyone else's."

Scott smiled. "So, when did you come to help out?"

"I was working here right after her parents died. We'd worked together since we started."

Scott finished feeding the cows. He wheeled the cart back to its original spot. He wiped his hands on the jeans he wore. "What's next?"

Sandy reappeared again. "Do you know how to get milkers on and offa cows?"

Scott shook his head.

Her hands went to her hips. "Jeez, who teaches you city kids! C'mere, you sure-as-heck are gonna learn."

Scott walked over, eager to help.

–

As Gordon walked towards the main entrance of the airport, he was relieved to see the familiar face that he had been emailed over a month ago.

"Hey! Gordon!" He ran towards him, and grabbed a bag. "How's it goin', eh?"

Gordon shrugged. "Oh, pretty good. How are things over here?"

He rolled his eyes. "Chaotic. I am _so_ glad you're here. Now we can pick out a site, and a brick colour, and what style font the name of the building should be . . ."

Gordon laughed and slapped his hand on his back. "Henrik, you're _hilarious._"

He slapped Gordon's back as they reached his blue Jeep. "No problem. Oh, and by the way, _must_ you call me Henrik? I have a name, you know."

"Yeah," Gordon said, tossing his bag into the back seat,"but Henrik's better."

Henrik shook his head as he climbed into the front seat. Gordon took the seat beside him as they drove towards his apartment.

"So, tell me more about this Lana Fitzgerald person," Henrik began.

Gordon thought. "Well, she worked for us freelance. And, well, she and my brother suddenly fell in love. On her way home to Canada, though, her plane was shot down."

Henrik took a deep breath. "That's terrible. But it's nice you're doing this for your brother. What was his name again?"

Gordon smiled. "I never gave it to you. And I'm afraid I _can't_ give it to you."

Henrik snapped his fingers jokingly as he rounded a corner. His apartment was just down the street.

"I must warn you," he began, turning briefly to Gordon, "the place is a bit of a pig sty in areas."

"That's fine." They pulled into a parking lot, and Gordon grabbed his stuff from the backseat.

They rode up in the elevator, making small talk about the weather in Canada versus the weather on Tracy Island. They soon arrived at the 5th floor.

Henrik took out his key and opened the door to room 517. Gordon stepped inside, and found himself in a spacious apartment. There was a plush sofa in the living room, and various plants sitting round the window. Through it, he could see the balcony which overlooked the local park.

Gordon heard Henrik enter behind him, and he dropped his bag on the floor. Henrik dropped the other bag.

He turned to face him. Henrik was looking frantically from the clock mounted on the west wall to his watch. "Oh no! Is that the time!"

Gordon walked towards him. "What's wrong?"

Henrik turned towards him. "I have to be at work in 10 minutes!"

Gordon shrugged. "Can I come with?"

Henrik looked at the clock again. "I suppose there's still plenty of time for you to unpack. C'mon. Let's roll."

–

The Jeep pulled into the parking lot, and the two men hurried out and into the main entrance.

Gordon followed Henrik down a hall, up the elevator, down another hall, and into his office.

"So," Gordon began as his pal pulled on a white coat with his name clipped to it, "what is it we have to do?"

Henrik tossed him a spare coat. "I have to make my rounds. Here, put this on."

Gordon caught the coat and pulled it over his t-shirt with ease.

Henrik picked up a mug, and walked over to the coffee machine. He poured a cup, and handed it to Gordon. "I'm sorry, Gord. This is going to be so boring for you."

He accepted the cup, and shrugged. "Not a problem. I'm happy to see your patients."

He nodded. "Good. We only have two today, but both are a handful, _believe _me."

Henrik held the door for Gordon, and the two began making their way down the hall to the nursing station.

Henrik waited patiently as the nurse sitting at her desk finished a phone call. "Any messages for me Gurdy?"

She checked a folder on her desk. "Yes, you have one, Dr. Peterson. Simone called, and asked if you wanted to have dinner."

He cringed. "And you said?"

She smiled. "Don't worry, Greg. I told her you had a guest to entertain today."

A wave of relief swept him. "You are an _angel_, Gurdy."

She waved it off. "No problem, Greg. Now, you better go visit a certain little girl before she hurts you."

He checked his watch. "Right. Thanks again, Gurdy." He began heading back down another hall. Gordon followed.

"Who's Simone?"

He rolled his eyes. "She's another doctor, who is _convinced_ I should be hers. I'm really not interested. I have other ideas for my love life."

"Such as . . .?" Gordon prompted.

"Oh, look!" Greg exclaimed, not wanting to form an answer, "We're here! Now, I must warn you, she's a little pill . . ." He reached for the handle of the door, but someone opened it just as he reached the handle.

There in the doorway, stood a very disgruntled 5-year-old, tapping her foot. "You're late," she proclaimed.

He extended his arms. "Hey, I'm sorry, Libby. I have a guest." He gestured towards Gordon. "Libby, this is Mr. Tracy. He's a friend of mine."

Libby looked up at Gordon. "Hello, Mr. Tracy."

Greg bent down so he was looking straight into her eyes. "Now, will you let me in so I can take your blood pressure?"

–

Approximately 15 minutes later, Greg closed the door to her room. "So, what do you think so far?"

Gordon took a sip of his coffee. "You're a miracle worker."

Greg laughed. "Come on, we have to go check on Jane now. Trust me, Jane is way more fun."

As Gordon followed him again, he noticed that the doctor had a bigger smile on his face than he had with the other patients. "Greg?" he asked.

"Yes?" Greg replied, pushing the elevator button.

"What makes her so special?"

Greg smiled as he climbed in the elevator. Gordon followed. The doors closed behind them, and Greg pressed the button for 4th floor.

"She's an amnesiac. No one knows her name, and she has no idea who she is - hence, she became 'Jane Doe'. Someone found her passed out on a beach, and they brought her here. She's staying until she's stable enough to leave."

"And?" Gordon prompted as a ding informed them they'd reached their floor.

He smiled as he climbed out. "And I think it might be love."

Gordon smiled. "That's great, Greg! I bet she's wonderful."

"You can find out for yourself," Greg said, stopping, "This is her room." Greg pushed the door open, and Gordon saw a curtain pulled around the bed.

There was a shadow moving behind the curtain, so Jane was obviously awake. "Hey, Jane! It's Greg. My friend Gordon is with me today . . . he's staying with me this week."

As Greg reached for the curtain, Gordon took a sip of coffee, preparing himself for a bubbly blonde with curves in all the right places. He'd seen enough of those, and frankly, he wouldn't be impressed.

Instead, when Greg pulled the curtain to reveal the girl behind it, Gordon had a completely different reaction.

The first thing that happened was Gordon's eyes went wide as he spit out his coffee. Then his hand dropped the cup, spilling the remainder of it all over him. Gordon was terrified, and tried to run away backwards, only succeeding in running into a tray carrying leftovers. He knocked it over, tripped, and fell back onto it.

Jane sat up in her bed, and Greg rushed over to his side. "Gord - what's wrong!"

With Greg's help, Gordon stood up and just stared at the girl in front of him. He gulped. His eyes would not blink, and he was breathing heavily. "My gosh - Greg, do you realize _who this is_!"

Greg stared at him. "What are you talking about . . .?"

Gordon looked from him to Jane and back again. "I don't believe it! Greg, this girl is _Lana Fitzgerald_!"


	3. Reunited

Chapter 3: Reunited

_Lana Fitzgerald._

Jane had a name. Lana. This changed everything between her and Greg. It was hard for him to grasp.

He and Gordon did not seem to know whether to look at her or each other. Greg stared hard at Gordon. "Are you saying that this woman is your brother's _dead girlfriend?_"

"Yes!" Gordon yelled at him. "That's _exactly_ what I've been trying to tell you!"

Greg held his hand to his forehead. This looked to be too much for him. "Oh my gosh . . ."

Gordon was shaking. "I have to call home." He reached inside his pocket for a cell phone.

He thought for a moment about what he'd said. Calling home meant that Gordon's brother would find out - Greg couldn't lose Jane . . . Lana. "You can't be serious!"

Gordon looked at him a moment before hitting any buttons. He looked over at Lana, who seemed to be suffering from a large headache. "Step outside with me a moment." Greg followed him out. Closing the door behind him.

Gordon took a breath. "Look . . . I understand how much Lana means to you. Believe me, I do," he said firmly, trying to establish this. "But what you don't understand is that my brother loved her just as much. I don't know if you understand that my brother tried to take his life _for her_. I need to call him. He _deserves _to know, don't you think?" Gordon pleaded.

Greg stared at him with watery eyes. "_I _love her, though. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone before, Gordon, and she loves me back. Do you know how hard it is to find someone like that? I can't risk losing her."

Gordon put his hand on Greg's shoulder. "If she really loves you like that, nothing will happen between her and Scott."

–

Tess sat on the couch next to Tin-Tin, each reading individual magazines. They both looked to be completely engrossed by the latest fashion news. Alan and Virgil sat across the room, also looking completely busy.

The phone rang and the foursome all lunged for it at the same second. Tess and Alan's hands both grabbed the receiver.

"It's mine, _Alan_!"

"That's a darn lie, and you know it!"

"Oh, gee, I'm not the one who lied for a _year_ about having a pet _alligator_!"

"I never found the right opportunity!"

"WILL YOU TWO QUIT BICKERING AND LISTEN TO ME!" the voice at the other end of the phone yelled.

Tess managed to wriggle it out of Alan's hands. "Hello? Sorry about-"

"Look, I don't have time!" Gordon snapped. "What's Scott's cell number?"

Tess looked on the desk. "I'm not sure, Gordon. If you want, you can leave a message, and I'll have Jeff call him."

"No! I need that number _now_!"

Tess looked shocked. "_Okay_. What's your problem!"

"None of your business! Now _give me that number_, _Tessa!_ NOW MEANS NOW!" he thundered.

Tess fumbled through the roll-a-dex on Jeff's desk. "Here: it's 718-555-8063. Happy?"

A dial tone was her only response.

–

Scott could barely make his fork cut his steak, he was laughing so hard. Uncle Ed wasn't doing so well either.

"So then," Sandy continued through laughs, "the stupid rooster had the nerve to chase her. Well, Lana just wasn't going to put up with that. She grabbed it by the neck and hurled the stupid thing. It's behaved ever since."

Scott was doubled over laughing. Uncle Ed was red in the face. Sandy laughed too. Even Scamp appeared to be smiling - then again, knowing Scamp, it may have just been the smell of meat.

A ring went off, and Scamp began howling at the foreign noise. "Shuddup, dog!" Scott yelled. Scamp looked sad.

"Now y'er gettin' it," Sandy smiled.

Scott reached into his pocket. The caller ID was surprisingly not Jeff. He pressed the button to ignore it, and set the phone on the table. "Likely just a wrong number," he explained. He took a bite of steak.

But just as he was swallowing, the phone went off again. _718-555-6789_? Who _was_ that?

He hit the ignore button again. "Persistent li'l bugger, eh."

Sandy smiled. "You sure you're not Canadian?"

He smiled back, and the phone rang again. He stared at it for a minute. Same guy.

Sandy looked over at him, puzzled. "Maybe you should answer it. Just tell the guy he has the wrong number."

Scott shrugged and pressed the button to answer it. He excused himself from the table. "Hello?"

"Scott!_ Finally!_ Thank goodness you decided to answer!"

Scott appeared confused. "Gordon?"

"Scott, you have to catch a flight _right now!_"

The urgency in his brother's voice terrified him. "Why? What's happened? What's wrong! Why aren't you calling from the mainline?"

There was a sigh. "Because I'm not at home, dimwit! I'm in Newfoundland. And nothing's happened. Well, okay something's happened. But it's not big. Okay, not _very_ big. Okay, it's huge. Okay, just, _get out here now_!"

"I can't, dude," Scott explained, "I'm sure whatever is not-big-very-big-huge isn't as great as being with Lana's family."

Gordon became very sarcastic. "No, I'm sure hanging out with Lana's cousin and their Uncle is _way_ better than trusting your brother's judgement!"

Scott sighed. "Look, this is the closest thing I have to Lana. I've bonded with these people. They share my pain. I like it here."

Scott held the phone away from himself as his brother exploded. "SCOTT TRACY YOU GET YOUR BUTT UP HERE NOW! OR ELSE, I SHALL BE FORCED NEVER AGAIN TO DO ANYTHING NICE FOR YOU EVER! IF I WAS FEMALE, YOU'D OWE ME PRADA FOR THIS ONE, BUDDY!"

Even Scamp was staring at the phone. Scott gingerly placed the phone back against his ear, hoping not to get another earful. "Okay. Fine. But, I swear, if this isn't 100 worth my time, I'm making you do all my chores for a month!"

"Oh, trust me, bud - you don't wanna miss this! Okay, buy the tickets, like ASAP. I checked, there's a flight leaving the day after tomorrow. It's the Diefenbaker airport. Call me before the plane takes off so that I know when to meet you. Trust me, you'll want to be here before you can say 'I love my brother more than Gramma's Cake'." There was a dial tone.

Scott closed the phone and turned to the family. "Apparently I have to leave . . ."

–

Tess turned up the volume on the television. Tin-Tin, Alan, Virgil and herself were all squished together on the couch. The four were completely and utterly bored.

"We have debris!"

"Debris!" the television screamed.

Jeff was walking by, the newspaper in his hand, when he stopped to watch the TV.

"Left! . . . Right! . . . Left!"

Jeff turned to Tessa and the others. "Why aren't you guys doing something productive?"

Virgil sighed. "Productivity is finished. The house has smelt like lemon for the past 7 hours, haven't you noticed?"

Jeff sniffed the air, verifying it. "And so you're doing . . . what, exactly?"

Alan shrugged, not taking his eyes off the television. "Watching movies."

"We already burned through _Thomas and the Magic Railroad_ almost five times," Tess added.

"So now we're watching _Twister_," Tin-Tin finished.

Jeff looked at the screen. "Oh. I see."

Tess stared at the TV, squinting at the main character, driving the truck. "He looks familiar . . . I think I've seen him somewhere before . . . I just can't think of _where_."

The other four watched the screen. "Yeah, he looks _very_ familiar . . ."

Tin-Tin spoke up. "Oh! Oh! I know! I know!" They turned to her. "He's from Titanic!"

There was a collective "Ooooh!" from everyone except Tessa.

Tess shook her head. "No, I'm thinking of something more recent, I know it . . . wasn't he in a movie a couple summers ago? Wasn't it like, sci-fi or something?"

"Yeah . . ." Virgil added, "yeah, wasn't that . . . wasn't that the one where that old guy is reading that book to that lady and it's all about some oddball from the '40s and his girlfriend?"

Tin-tin and Tess stared at him in disbelief. "How . . . in the _heck . . ._ do you get . . . _The Notebook . . ._ confused . . . _with science fiction_!" Tess asked him.

Virgil held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Geez . . ."

Jeff was still staring at the screen while the two bickered. "Well, I have no idea what-so-ever who that guy is, so I think I'll get back to my paper." He walked away, leaving the group alone once again.

Alan interrupted. "Hey! Can we _please_ get back to the movie! Anyone?"

Virgil and Tessa shut up. "I'll have to make you watch it, and _then_ we'll see how sci-fi it is . . ." Tess threatened. Virgil sighed, annoyed with himself for saying anything.

"On three . . . ," the movie continued.

–

Lana popped another Advil into her mouth, trying to ward off the massive headache that had come with Gordon.

All the memories had come flooding back at once. Well, all the memories of her childhood and family at least. She still had no idea _who_ Gordon _was_, or why he knew her. But someone saying her name, her _real_ name had brought back a lot. And the gaps that remained pushed her to think too hard.

Lana swallowed some water to help ease the pill down her throat.

She had been in CSIS. But she quit . . . because her family had died. Then . . . then . . . then she had lived on a farm with her cousin, Sandy. They'd lived in Saskatchewan.

But had she really quit CSIS? There was something secret about her life that only her cousin Sandy knew about . . . but what was it?

Lana cringed as another wave of pain swept through her head.

Gordon had frustrated and enlightened her in ways she couldn't have imagined. If only she knew who he was . . .

Now, though, a nurse had informed her that yet another visitor would be coming to see her. She hated that idea, the notion of maybe having to go through this again. Though the blow would've been a lot easier to take if Greg had given it to her.

For a man who had told her he'd never fallen for anyone faster, he sure-as-heck was taking his time in seeing her again. It was like, as soon as Gordon had stepped outside with him, he'd never stepped back in.

Why was he ignoring her? Was he worried? Did she do something to upset him?

Her eyes widened as her active imagination gained way. Had she been an assassin? Had she disgusted him enough for him never to want to look at her again? What was in her past that bothered him?

If he really loved her, he'd know that no matter what her past, he was her only future. The only man she'd ever love. Ever.

–

The plane would be landing shortly, the pilot had just informed the passengers of flight 707.

Scott grabbed his bag and prepared for the plane's touchdown, all the while, his mind wandering.

His brother had sounded like he'd found the best thing for Scott. What could he have possibly found? Perhaps the rose he'd sent out to sea had washed up on shore. But that was impossible! His brother knew nothing about that . . . no one did . . .

The plane landed, and Scott was one of the first off. The second his feet hit the ground, he made sure his cell phone was back on. He knew that there would probably be a bunch of voice mails from his dad, but he couldn't help it. He was so preoccupied, he didn't bother to check.

What could be so important that his brother dragged him halfway across a country? More to the point, what was his brother doing in this country? He grabbed his bags as he pondered over this.

Scott began walking towards the entrance, where his brother had said to meet him. He listened to the country music playing through the air around him, his thoughts dancing in his head.

He turned around a corner, and spotted his brother with a rented car.

"Gordon. Now, what's all this 'important' crap? Are you aware I was enjoying beautiful Saskatchewan when you called?" Scott interrogated.

Gordon smiled, and laughed slightly. "Well, hello to you too. Come on, we'll get you set up in my hotel." He grabbed a bag, and walked towards the car. Scott followed him.

"What are you doing in Newfoundland anyway?" he asked.

Gordon popped open the back window and tossed in both suitcases and Scott's backpack. He closed it again. "I was doing some . . . charity work, you might say. I was staying with my partner, but when I asked you down - or, rather, up - that kind of killed the whole roommate deal. Maybe even the whole project . . ."

They climbed inside the vehicle, and Gordon began to drive. "We were working on adding a new Emergency Ward for this town. I was going to name it after Lana, as a tribute to her work," he rounded a corner, "I picked this town because of a Dr. Greg Peterson. He's a specialist with amnesiacs and children. He's a very skilled man, and has won many prestigious awards."

Scott was taken aback. This was a very kind gesture. Perhaps the most thoughtful his brother had ever done. He was still confused. "I love the idea . . . where do I come in, though?"

His brother parked in the lot of the local Best Western. He turned to his brother and smiled. "You'll see."

–

Gordon helped his brother unpack his two suitcases into the room joining his. He felt bad for keeping him in the dark so long, but he wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, if he told his brother now, there would be nothing stopping him from getting to that hospital.

With the last shirt finally tucked in the drawer, he turned back to his eldest brother. "So, what was Lana's family like?"

Scott sat on the chair, thinking. "Well, they were kind, and ambitious, and just friendly. Wonderful people."

Gordon smiled. "A lot like Lana?"

He laughed. "Lana never exactly _welcomed_ me the way they did. But she was a lovely lady, yes."

Gordon couldn't get over how much his brother had changed in a week. Before he was suicidal, and deeply depressed whenever someone brought up Lana. Now, he just smiled at the memories.

He hoped he was doing the right thing by letting his brother know she was alive. He looked up at the clock.

"C'mon," Gordon said, beckoning Scott with his hand, "Greg is going to meet us at the hospital. I thought it might be good for you to meet the patients we'll be helping."

Scott followed him out of the room, seeming perplexed. "_That's_ the reason you brought me here?"

Gordon smiled back at him. "Yup."

–

As Scott put on a white coat in Dr. Peterson's office, he couldn't help but feel cheated. His brother had dragged him across Canada for what? To see a bunch of sick people. No offence to the sick people, but he saw that all the time in IR.

He also couldn't help but notice the odd looks that Greg Peterson gave him. Was it just Scott, or did Greg appear to resent him already?

Gordon walked towards Scott, a couple of full cups in his hands. "Coffee?" he asked. Scott took the cup, muttering a thanks under his breath.

Greg seemed hateful towards Scott as he began to move towards the door. "Usually, I'd take you around to see some of my paediatric patients first, Mr. Tracy, but your brother assures me you'd rather see my amnesiac patients. Am I correct?"

Scott looked over towards Gordon who winked. He turned back to Greg. "Uh, yeah . . . I guess."

Greg nodded. "Okay, then. Follow me to the elevators." He walked out the door, and the two brothers followed.

Scott kept in step with his brother, about 2 metres behind Greg. "Why is he so unfriendly?" Scott whispered.

Gordon turned towards his brother. "Who, Greg?" he whispered back, "Don't mind him, he just thinks you're invading his territory."

"I'm what!" Scott said, slightly louder than a whisper, as they walked into the elevator. The doors shut behind them.

Gordon seemed to be ignoring him as the fast elevator approached its floor. The doors soon opened, and Greg continued walking, this time with Gordon beside him.

Greg stopped in front of room 414. "The resident in here is a Jane Doe we've only very recently been able to identify. Now, please, try not to make her remember too much, as amnesiacs can easily harm themselves." His tone was bitter and lifeless.

The door swung open to reveal a curtained bed. Scott stepped in first, followed by Gordon and then Greg. Scott stayed about a metre and a half away from the bed, while the others walked almost right up to it.

Scott was perplexed. He could've sworn his brother had just whispered, "This ought to be fun."

Gordon walked back towards Scott. Scott took a sip of his coffee as Greg pulled the curtain.

"HOLY FREAKING CRAP!" Scott's eyes went wide, and a volcano of coffee erupted from his mouth. He spilt the remaining bit down his shirt, causing him to jump back in the heat. When he jumped back however, he backed into the tray carrying leftovers, knocking it over, and tumbling to the floor in a mess.

Greg rolled his eyes. "Nope, you two aren't related . . . not at all . . ."

Gordon helped his brother up. Scott was still in complete and utter shock. "Is that . . . it can't be . . . but she's . . . and I'm . . . what's going on here?"

Gordon just smiled, and let his brother walk towards the bed.

As Scott approached the bed, he noticed a rose sitting in a vase on the night stand. It was slightly more wilted than the last time he'd seen it, but he could tell all the same that it was the one he'd sent for Lana. And, sure enough, it had made it to her.

She sat up in her bed, and stared. "Scott?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded, not believing what he was seeing.

Lana smiled brightly, and jumped out of bed to hold him. He gladly accepted the embrace. They both held each other tightly.

"I missed you so much . . ."

"I couldn't stand being away from you . . ."

"I love you," they said in unison. There was silence for a moment, then they stepped back a bit, so that they could look at each other.

It was then that Dr. Peterson couldn't stand to stay in the room any longer. He walked out the door, and into the hall, depression around him. Gordon left the room just seconds later. Only he was smiling broadly as he did so.

–

As Lana stared up into Scott's eyes, she felt like all her questions were being answered. This was the man who sent her the rose. The man she kept seeing was his father. She'd been an agent for International Rescue . . .

He stared back at her, just as loving. He loved her, as she loved him. He held her chin, and pulled her close, kissing her tenderly. She kissed him back.

As his hand held her back gently, Lana felt guilty enough to pull away. He looked surprised. She didn't blame him.

Lana wiped a small tear from her eye. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled. "I didn't know until I saw you, frankly. I was in Saskatchewan with your family when Gordon called me."

She was puzzled. "You were with my family?"

"Yes, Lana. I had to see the only people who loved you as much as I do."

She smiled, and kissed him, trying to convince herself that Greg was still the only one for her.

–

Jeff had been staring at the bored people living in his home for too many days now. He couldn't stand it anymore. He got up to go talk to them - now watching The Notebook for obvious reasons - when the phone rang. He stopped himself, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he asked politely.

"Hi, Dad," a cheery voice rang.

It took Jeff a moment to place it. "Scott?"

"Yup. I figured I'd let you know I was doing fine."

Jeff was confused. "It sounds like Saskatchewan is doing you good."

There was laughter. "I don't think it's Saskatchewan. Canada in general, maybe, but not just Saskatchewan."

Jeff was verging into Tess-confusedness. "Excuse me?"

There was a pause, and a giggle in the background. "I'm sorry, Dad. I have to go. I just wanted to let you know I'm doing alright. Talk to you later!"

Jeff hung up the phone, bewildered. What on _earth_ was his son doing? Oh, well. He would get to that later, he supposed. Right now, he needed to speak to his family.

Tin-Tin, Penny, and Tess looked quite intent on the movie. Alan and Virgil seemed interested, but also seemed to slowly becoming nauseous.

"Why didn't you write me!"

Jeff cleared his throat. Penny held up her hand. "Not now, Jeff!"

Tess looked angry. "This is the good part!"

Tin-Tin appeared aggravated. "Hush up!"

Jeff was taken aback. He turned to see what could possibly be so important.

The man on the screen looked shocked. "I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you everyday for a year."

The female looked equally shocked. "You wrote me?"

"Yes," he began again, "it wasn't over, it still isn't over!" He ran and held her, taking her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

Jeff turned to look at the girls again. The scene changed and the girls became quite talkative then.

"Okay, go ahead."

"Now what was it you wanted?"

"What's so important?"

Jeff wondered why they were all of the sudden talkative. He turned back to the screen and cringed. "Oh! Ew! Gosh! Oh, gosh!" He shook his head. "I wanted to talk to you about perhaps lowering the no PDA policy?"

Tess hit the mute button - though, no one was sure whether she muted it to hear Jeff, or so she just wouldn't have to listen to the movie. "Yes?"

He stepped in front of the screen, so that it would not prove to be a distraction. "I realize I was unfair before. I know that you are in love, and I respect that, having been there myself a few times. I still want no making out, but I suppose kissing and pretty much anything else is alright."

The four Tracy's - or near-Tracy's - eyes lit up. "Thank you," Tin-Tin said.

"The only thing is," he began, turning back to the screen to illustrate his point, but finding he still didn't want to look, "I want less of these movies."

They smiled. Virgil spoke up first, looking over at his fiancée. "Don't worry, Dad. I can guarantee less movies."


	4. In Love With Another

Chapter Four: In Love With Another

Lana sipped her Iced Cappuccino, thinking this was where she was meant to be for the rest of her life. Sure, the floors could've been washed better. And, maybe the bathrooms around the corner could've used _real_ toilet paper. But staring into Greg's eyes, knowing that he loved her back, was exactly what this girl wanted.

Sure, Lana still had feelings for Scott. And, true, she and him had spent a lovely evening together yesterday. But Lana was sure her feelings for Greg ran deeper. After all, her and Scott had originally decided they were in love practically overnight - like that ever really happened. No, Lana was certain she loved Greg.

But, then, why didn't she have the heart to _tell_ Scott that last night?

She rested her hand on the table, and Greg encased it with his. He smiled at her. It was a loving, wondering smile. He truly loved her back.

Lana leaned forward, kissing him tenderly. He gladly returned it. She felt like there was no one else in the world except the two of them.

But she was wrong. Very wrong.

-

As Scott stared from the line at the coffee shop, he swore he felt his heart ripping in half. Just as he thought the nightmare that had become his love life had finally calmed, it started all over again.

_No_, he told himself, denying it, _it can't be . . . it has to be someone else._

This made no sense to him. He grabbed the coffee from off the counter, but only moved slightly, still watching.

Why, he asked himself, had she not told him she was in love with Dr. Peterson last night? He had made a fool of himself for a girl who had moved on.

He stormed out of the coffee shop, gulping the strong coffee. _I'm such an idiot! And a jerk, at that._

Scott opened the door of his rental Jeep, practically denting the side of the car next to him. He jumped in, shoved the now half-full coffee in the cup holder, and turned on the ignition. His seatbelt was barely buckled as he stepped on the gas to pull out.

He needed to blow off steam before this afternoon. He'd promised Lana that he'd meet her then, and he wasn't going to miss that for the world.

-

"Tess, please, don't do this," Virgil pleaded.

Tessa sighed. "Virgil, I have to."

"Darling, I know we've been arguing lately over the wedding plans, but really, isn't this a bit . . . rash?" he asked, upset.

She smiled at him weakly. "Virgil, I love you, but I _have_ to go."

"This is _completely _childish!" he yelled.

"Oh, quit being so dramatic!" she snapped, "For crying out loud - I'm _just_ going to see my father."

"Yes, but for _four_ days! And alone!"

She shrugged, going into the walk-in closet. "I can't help it. He requested that I stay longer and be alone this time. 'Something big I need to tell you about . . . alone.' That was all he said to me. Now, how am I to respond to that? 'No, Dad, I would rather involve my fiancé, whom you hate, and have to pay for _yet another_ lamp.' Yes, sounds perfect." She returned with a sun dress, and a pair of pink stilettos Penny had given her on her birthday.

Virgil watched her with his eyes. "Tess, I just got you back. Now I'm losing you again."

She looked over at him, and set the dress on the bed, along with the shoes. Tessa walked towards him, and held him. She tenderly kissed his lips. "Virgil, you never lost me. And you aren't losing me now. I'll call and email you everyday, I promise." She kissed his lips again.

When she tried to pull away, though, Tessa found Virgil was not letting her go. She didn't mind that, but the fact that his hands were beginning to wander was starting to bother her. "Virgil . . . ," she began.

"I know, I know," he answered, "but I'm still not going to let you go."

She laughed. "It's not that, trust me . . . it's the hands. You know how I feel about wandering hands . . ."

He looked at her oddly. "Tessa, my hands have been on your back the entire time I've held you."

It took her a moment to contemplate what he had just said.

Then she felt the now very familiar scales on her neck. She screamed. "AHHH! ALAN! YOU GET YOUR REAR IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Virgil let her go, knowing it was the smartest thing to do. As soon as Alan appeared nervously in the door, he backed away.

Tessa peeled the alligator off the back of her neck and threw it at Alan. "Keep that thing away from me!" she yelled.

Alan caught Frodo, and looked angry. "Well, you didn't have to hurl him! You might've killed him!"

She looked like fire might shoot out her eyes at any second. "_I_ might have killed him! _WHO_ let him out of his cage! _WHO_ let him roam free where he might get caught in a blender or flushed, or _anything_! Now _GET OUT!_" She slammed the door in his face, and resumed packing, now throwing the clothes in her bag violently.

Virgil came over and held her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Hey, Tess," he said soothingly, "why do you let that alligator bother you? He's small enough to fit in your palm."

She held his hands in place with her own. "Promise not to tell?"

He turned her around, now scared. When Tessa had a secret, it had always been a large one. She knew their identities. She was dating his brother. Her father was their arch enemy. Her mother had been beaten. So, naturally, Virgil was slightly afraid. "Hey, what is it?"

She looked miserable. "My dad took me to the zoo when I was little once. He said alligators kill for pleasure, and that they eat humans. He really freaked me out. And now I'm afraid of alligators."

He held her close. "Oh, Tess . . ."

She gladly accepted the embrace.

-

When Lana opened the door to her hospital room, she found Scott already there, looking out the window. She was puzzled - weren't they supposed to meet later? "Scott?" she asked, double-  
checking.

He turned. She smiled and walked towards him. Her arms wrapped themselves around him, and her lips found his. But Lana was confused when he only returned the kiss half-heartedly, like he was only doing what he was supposed to. She pulled away, and looked up at him. He wasn't smiling, in fact, he looked sort-of angry.

"Scott? What's wrong?" Lana was concerned. She still had her arms around him as she looked up into his eyes.

He looked down into hers and smiled. But there was nothing joyous about it. Not like yesterday. "I was wondering how you can kiss me when its so obvious you're in love with someone else."

Lana's eyes widened. It wasn't possible! There was no way he could've found out she loved Greg!

Scott nodded as he grabbed her hands and threw them off himself. "I thought so. I'm such an idiot!" He turned back to the window, his right forearm resting on it.

Lana stood there. "How . . . how did you find out?"

Scott's head dropped. "Other people in the world have coffee addictions too, you know."

A vision of herself melting over Greg that morning poured through her head. She tried to keep her voice even, and calm. "Look, Scott-"

He spun around angrily. He had a fierce temper. "Don't you _dare_ 'Look, Scott' me! How can you expect me to be okay with this! Do you realize how much I've gone through for you! Do you know how much this hurts?"

Lana was in shock. "Scott, I knew you, what? Two weeks? Three? That's 21 days. Twenty-one days, and you told me you loved me. Then, right after that, we had a big fight, didn't speak to each other for another week, and then made-up just as I was leaving. Then what? I go through a _month_ without hearing from you! And you expect me to just wait for you!"

Scott was in shock. "_Excuse me_! Who's the person who was supposed to be dead but isn't! At least I went to the one place where you might actually be - your _home_. But _no_! I have to wait for my brother to tell me where you are!"

"I had amnesia!"

"I was suicidal!"

Lana stared for a moment. _What did he just say?_

-

Scott realized what he had just told her. He'd had no intention ever of telling Lana about those times when he tried to kill himself - just so he could be with her. There were more times than those his family knew about, and he really had never wanted to burden anyone with them. Ever. Especially Lana. Even though he was madder at her than anything else, beneath it, he knew he loved her.

His hands buried his face. "Look, forget I said that. This was a foolish argument to begin with."

"No," Lana said abruptly.

Scott looked at her through his fingers. "You mean that accusing each other of something neither of us could control wasn't stupid?"

"No, no, _that_ was foolish, all right," she explained, crossing her arms, "but I refuse to let the 'suicidal' thing go. Tell me Scott, what _exactly_ do you mean by that?"

His hands dropped. Her tone was becoming almost bitter. "You don't want to hear it."

"Oh, I think I do. Tell me, Scott. I don't know _why_ it is I don't believe you. You know what, I don't really care. If you were _stupid_ enough to try and take your own life even once, and then accuse me of doing _anything_ wrong, you can just leave." She pointed to the door.

He walked towards it. But as Scott turned the knob, he looked back. "I meant what I said on the beach that day. I do love you, Lana."

She paused, not sure how to respond. She turned around, so her vulnerability wouldn't show. When she thought of a reply finally, she turned back to find nothing but a closed door.

-

Penelope watched from the side as Virgil kissed Tessa goodbye for what must have been the 10th time.

_Just once_, she thought, _just once, I wish Jeff would look at me like that._

Penny waved to her once nemesis as Virgil finally let go of her. Tess waved back to everyone before closing the plane door.

Penny dared a glance at Jeff. He was exactly how she thought he would be. He stood tall, proud of all he'd done in his life. His strong hand perched above his dark eyes, shading them from a blinding sun. His short, graying hair began to toss lightly as her plane took off. Jeff was completely predictable.

She watched as the lines around his mouth deepened in a smile as he waved one final time. She turned and waved broadly, joining in with what few boys were actually on the island. Penelope smiled broadly as the plane flew into the distance.

Sure, he was old enough to be her father. And maybe it showed. He may have also never really been the most handsome man to begin with.

But in Penelope's eyes, he was the best thing in the world.

If only, just once, she could know what he saw through his eyes.

-

Gordon ducked as a rolled up shirt went flying towards his head.

"How in the _heck_ do you justify not telling me!" Scott's thundering voice yelled at him.

"Calm down!" Gordon yelled back as his brother violently whipped a shirt into his suitcase.

"What for?" Scott asked, turning towards him.

Gordon prayed his brother wouldn't kill him. "Sure, okay, I knew. He told me. But I figured that it was just a fling. Easily broken."

"Yeah, well, it's not." Scott returned to "packing" (which was actually just whipping clothes from different angles).

Gordon marched over to where his brother stood, and slammed the suitcase shut. "Have you actually tried! Huh! _Have you?_ No! You've only been here a couple of day, Scott, and you're _already _giving up on the girl you would _die_ for!"

Scott stared at him hard. His face was angry, but deep down, he knew his brother was right.

"I thought so." Gordon whipped the un-zipped suitcase across the room, causing clothes to flood the already disastrous room. "Now quit your stupid packing, and win her back!"

-

Virgil was moping around. It was obvious to everyone how much he missed Tessa.

He barely ate dinner - only a steak, some hamburger, a small pile of fries, a Dr. Pepper . . . hot fudge sundae. Clearly, he was starving himself, in Penelope's opinion.

He was boring. Not bored, _boring_. He never wanted to play chess. He didn't want to swim. He didn't want to see if fish liked Roman candles. Alan felt he was _obviously_ depressed.

He was being lazy. That was all Jeff thought of Virgil. Okay, fine, he realized that his son's fiancée had just left him alone. But for crying out loud, it was just four days! He wanted to tell his son to take it like a man.

But he remembered all the times he'd had to leave Lucy. He knew how horrible it was to have to leave the one you loved.

But that was for a week - sometimes even more - at a time. This was just four days!

His son was now perched by the window, staring out at the sunset. How could he just let his life pass him by?

Jeff got up to tell his son to go read a book or something, when the phone rang.

-

Virgil barely heard the familiar ring. He watched the sun go down, wondering if Tessa was watching the same sunset.

How fair was it that he only had her back for a couple of days before she was taken again? How come this always happened to him!

"VIRGIL! PHONE!" his father yelled for the second time.

He looked over, stunned, to where his father stood holding the phone. He never got phone calls . . . _ever_.

He got up, and walked to where his father was. Virgil took the phone as his father sat down again. "Hello?"

"Virgil? Honey?" a tiny voice asked on the other end.

"Tess? Tessa is that you?" he asked.

"Oh, Virgil . . . ," the voice became very full of emotions. He swore he heard crying.

He was worried. "What's wrong? Tess?"

She sniffed. "Virgil . . . he . . . he . . . I just can't believe it!" she came out in full sobs then.

Virgil was genuinely petrified now. Her father was capable of anything, he knew this from experience. "Tess, please! What's going on?" All the eyes in the room were on him now.

There was nothing but tears on the other end.

"Darling? If something's wrong, I need to know who to beat up . . . ," he tried.

There was a small laugh on the other end. A pause followed it. "I'm fine, really. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice . . ."

He was sceptical. "How come I don't believe you, Tess?"

Tess sniffed. "Look, it's been a really trying day. I really need you right now, Virgil. I'd say more than ever, but I remember several incidences where I needed you just as much."

He laughed. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

She breathed in deeply. "You know what? I'm not even sure I'm ready to admit to myself what's happened. I promise I'll try and talk about it when I get home. But I don't know if I can. I gotta go. I love you, Virgil."

"I love you too."

There was a sigh on the other end. "That's what my father told my mother . . ."

Virgil was startled. "What-?"

But the line was dead.

-

Greg sat at his desk, going over paperwork for a few patients. He would be releasing a few over the next week, lightening his load by quite a lot.

Unfortunately, Lana would have to be one of the ones released.

He'd tried to tip-toe around it. In every possible way. But now that she had been positively identified, and she truly had family to go back to, there was no way to justify keeping her. She was healthy, and there were patients in need of beds.

But letting her go would mean facing the possibility of never seeing her again.

He'd managed to get her another week and a half. He convinced his supervisor that she needed to be monitored for trauma, and then she'd be free to go.

But where would she choose to go? Saskatchewan? Or would she go with Scott?

Maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to stay with him. He knew that even if she did like Scott, she loved him too. She'd made that very clear that morning. He too knew that he could always love her. He knew he would.

A sharp knock came at his door, startling him. "Come in," he replied calmly.

Simone barged into his office, slamming the door behind her, the glass in it rattling. She stormed towards his desk, and slapped her hands down hard. Her cold eyes bore inside of him.

"Is it true!" she demanded.

Greg clenched his teeth. "Is what true?"

Simone looked like she could explode if someone even sneezed. "Word is you're seeing that little tramp of a patient. Is that true!"

Greg stumbled with his wording. "Well . . . uh, actually, no . . ."

Simone rolled her eyes, groaning. "Greg, I can understand you not wanting to see me. I mean, honestly, how would that look? A doctor dating a nurse? Even _I_ think that's a bit cliché. But, honestly, do you realize this could jeopardize your career! That girl could cost you your reputation! Doctors aren't _allowed _to run off with the cute amnesiac! It's just not allowed." She held his gaze. "End it. Before someone who's not as understanding as me catches wind of this."

Greg tried to respond, thinking he'd tell her he didn't care, but she'd already slammed the door behind her again. So, he went back to getting rid of patients he hated.

There was another knock, and the door creaked open, only to be slammed again.

He didn't bother to look up. "Look, I want nothing to do with you. Just leave me alone to wallow in my _own_ romantic mess."

"I _am_ your romantic mess, dip-stick!" the female called to him.

He stopped writing, and looked up. Sure enough, it was Lana standing before him, not Simone. Her arms were crossed, as was she herself.

He got up from his desk and walked over towards her. "Sorry, I thought you were Simone . . . what's wrong?" He stopped about 3 feet away from her.

Her lips were tight as she spoke. "He knows."

Greg blinked. "Who . . . knows?"

Lana's expression never faltered. "Scott knows that I am in love with you."

Greg shrugged. "So? Sooner or later, Lana, he was going to find out."

She tried to speak, but he wasn't finished.

"Lana, I know you love him, too. I don't really care. Either way, in the end, he would've found out. You can't play this double-date thing forever. Sooner or later, you _will_ have to choose. If you chose him, he'd see me and know. If you chose me, well, he's see _us_ and knows."

She sighed. "I know . . . this isn't fair to either of you. But I just . . . I don't know what to do."

He held her face. "Lana, I know this isn't fair to me or him. But it isn't fair to you, either. You do love him, and you do love me. I can guarantee, if you'd never lost your memory, you would never have looked at me. And I know, if I had never helped you get it back, you'd never have looked at him. The door swings both ways."

A tear streamed down her cheek, and she turned away, unable to look at him.

It was Greg's turn to sigh. "Lana, I need you to sit down for a moment. There's something I need to talk to you about. It may make you want to fix this mess sooner, rather than later."

He escorted her into his chair, and he leaned against his desk. "Lana, before Gordon came, you had no idea who you were, and neither did we. We had nowhere you could go, and we didn't know if you'd be able to find a place on your own.

"But now . . . Lana, we _do_ know who you are, and you're as healthy as anyone here." He thought about that again, and decided to rephrase his sentence. "Well, okay, maybe not _here_, but you get what I'm saying right?"

Lana squinted at him. "Not exactly . . ."

He sighed again. "Lana, frankly, as much as I want you here . . . I have to let you go. I've reasoned with my boss, and all I've come up with are 10 days. Lana, unless you start showing some symptoms, next week you'll be gone. Home. Or wherever you choose."

Lana was in complete shock. She had nowhere to go! Well, nowhere she wanted to go! And ten days? Ten _days_! She'd have to make a decision about Scott and Greg by then.

He stood up straight, and looked her dead in the eye. "Now, I know you might not want to abandon whomever you choose for Saskatchewan. I'm sure that Scott will offer to take you back to Tracy Island if that's your choosing. But if you want, you can stay here . . . with me. In Newfoundland."

-

Penelope watched from the firm upright chair where she was perched as Virgil just sat by the phone, praying to hear from Tessa.

_He's been sitting there for _hoursshe recalled, _Poor dear._

She watched as he shifted his weight at his father's desk. He pretended to be watching the television program with the rest of his family, but it was quite obvious he was focussed on making the phone ring.

Jeff had apparently noticed too. "Virgil, why don't you come watch the news with us?" he urged.

Virgil shook his head from where it rested in his crossed arms. "No, I'm fine watching it from here."

Jeff sighed, exasperated. "She's not going to call, son. Just leave her be."

Virgil didn't move. "Dad, I can't take that chance."

"Virgil, she's called _once_, and it's now her last night there."

He sat up, seeming genuinely insulted. "So! Dad, you didn't talk to her that first night. She wasn't just upset, she was torn apart. And she won't call me back. I'm worried."

Penelope couldn't take this. She pushed herself up from the armchair, and made her way out to the balcony, her gypsy-style skirt billowing as she walked.

She leaned against the railing, her hands folded over top of each other in front of her. Her breath came out hard and angry. How could Jeff be that insensitive! This was his own son! A son who was genuinely worried about the woman he loved. Why couldn't he just understand that?

She let the wind muss her hair as thoughts dangled in her head. Her left hand raised to her face in thought.

"Penny . . . ," a voice broke through, as a firm, strong hand landed on the railing next to hers.

She turned in surprise. "Jeff . . . ," she replied, hoping he might move his hand.

His hand stayed where it had been placed. Though now, it was nearer to her waist, bringing them into a more personal space.

"What's wrong?" was all he asked.

Lady Penelope gave a small, half-laugh at his crude phrasing. "Jeff, did you even _notice_ how upset Virgil has become?"

Jeff shrugged, his hand still there. "So what? Virgil is upset a _lot_."

She couldn't fathom what he was saying! "I don't _believe_ you, Jeff! Your son's fiancée, _your_ future daughter-in-law, is in trouble, and you're shrugging it off!"

He finally removed his hand. "Look, Penny, I don't see why Virgil is making such a fuss. We've tried contacting her by every means - if Tessa wanted to be talked to, she'd talk to us. In fact, that's the first time she's _ever_ called when she's gone to visit her father. So, I have no reason to worry."

Penelope shook her head. "You've completely missed the point."

Jeff was annoyed. His voice rose. "Well, then, what's the point!"

Penelope's voice rose equally. "The point _is_, you're chastising your own son who is obviously _lovesick_, and isn't hurting anyone by doing the _only_ thing he can!"

"He's hurting _himself_!"

"Oh, _please_!Jeff, you wouldn't know _love_ if it slapped you in the face!"

He just stared at her for a moment. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice was lower, but by no means calmer.

Part of her was telling her to shut up before she said something that she'd regret. The other part of her wanted to ring Jeff's neck. "It means, _Jeff_, that you need to give it up! I'm not worried about him, I'm worried about _you_." Her voice was pleading now. "Jeff, Lucy's been gone for more than a decade, at least. And you've done more for her than most people would ever do for a diseased spouse. But you need to stop living in the past. You need to stop reprimanding yourself for something you had no control over. Look around at what you've accomplished. Lucy would be _proud_. Enjoy that. Look at what's right in front of you." Her eyes locked deeply with his.

Jeff was silent for what seemed like an endless time.

Penelope's thoughts poured out of her mouth then, whether she wanted them to or not. "Why can't you see that I . . ." Penelope caught herself in time.

Or did she. "What did you say?" Jeff asked, looking as though he would not easily drop this.

Penelope took a deep breath, laughing as she exhaled. "You never could see love when you needed to, Jeff." She turned and smiled directly at him, before walking away. She stopped in the doorway, though, and smiled flirtatiously again at him. "Think about that."

She walked back inside, leaving a shell-shocked Jeff out on the balcony.

-

Lana was trying to reason with Scott . . . _again_. "Look, I only have a week left. How in the _heck_ am I supposed to choose by then _without_ this stupid arrangement!"

Scott held his arms in the air. "How am I supposed to know! It's your love life. Pick someone! I hate this double-dating game! I'm not someone who likes sharing while on a date."

She was at the window of what was still currently her room. "Well, until I find good enough reason to date _you_ alone, you'd better get used to it."

"I don't get it! How come you'll see him alone, but not me!"

She looked at him coolly. "Because _Greg_ is not a suicidal maniac."

Scott was frustrated. "Will you drop that! You know _nothing_ about what happened there."

Lana's smile grew sinister. "Enlighten me."

He just looked at her. "You don't want to know. And if you don't trust me enough, _why_ don't just dump me right now?"

Lana opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.

He smiled. "Exactly. Admit it: you _liiiike_ me. So much that you don't even have to trust me to like me."

Lana sighed, knowing she'd been defeated. "Look, are you coming tonight, or not?"

Scott smiled broadly. "You bet it. I wouldn't miss a chance to be with you for the world, Lana. _Plus_, you know, the idea of seeing Greg fall flat on his face really amuses me."

She smiled and shook her head. "He's a far better dancer than you, Scott."

He just smiled and nodded. "Yeah . . . _we'll see_."

-

"C'mon, Scott! Get with the party!" Lana yelled from where Greg swung her around on the dance floor of the club.

Scott held up his drink to her. "No, thank you! I'm good!" he yelled back.

She laughed, and he doubted she'd even cared enough to listen to his response.

Scott had to admit, the place was hip. It even had funny-coloured lights and its own bar. Tables surrounded the enormous dance floor, and there was even a staircase leading to more tables, allowing the dancers even more room.

And, he had to admit he'd been completely wrong about Greg's dancing abilities - the man had skills, that was for sure. Not that Scott had gotten to show Lana what he could do.

The high-energy song ended, and the two returned to the table, breathless. Lana smiled at Greg. "That was totally awesome, Hun." She turned to Scott. "Next song, you and me. No excuses this time!" She held her index finger out to make her point. Scott smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.

Lana smiled flirtatiously in return. She grasped her purse, and stood up. "Good. I have to go freshen up for a moment. You two boys try not to kill each other while I'm gone, eh." She winked as she made her way back across the floor.

Greg and Scott both watched her walk away. Greg turned back first. "Hey, fly-boy," he began, trying to grab his attention.

Scott turned back towards Greg. "Yes? Was there something you wanted?"

Greg leaned forward as though he did not want to be overheard by anyone. "I think we should both give up the act."

Scott's brow creased slightly. "What act?" he inquired, unsure of whether or not he wanted to know.

Greg smiled. "We both know this is more of a competition than a date."

Scott forged shock. "No! Get out!_ Really?_"

Greg sat back up, his lips forming a tight line. "You stay away from her. You can't seriously think you have a chance with _her_." He gestured towards Lana, who was beginning to make her way back from the washroom. Greg smiled sickly. "Give it _up_, Scott. A girl like that's interested in a doctor, not a fly-boy."

Scott just stared. He'd thought he'd been dealing with a gentleman! Now, he realized Greg was more desperate for Lana than he'd thought possible. Scott's eyebrows went up slightly. "We'll see about that."

Lana met them at the table and pulled Scott up with both hands. "Come on, Scott! I want to dance!"

Scott got up, and used her effort to pull her closer to him. She gasped slightly at first, but then laughed, secretly happy to be in his arms. Scott gave Greg a triumphant look. "See you in a few," he said, letting Greg know unspokenly that the fight was on.

Greg acknowledged it with a nod.

Scott pulled Lana out on the floor gracefully as a modern tango came on. He smoothly began to circle her, as she smiled.

The beat changed, and he grabbed her, and they began to dance, stepping easily to the rhythm.

He pulled her close, and dipped her, making Lana smile. He pulled her back up, and twirled her around.

Greg watched from the side as Scott showed that he was no stranger to the music either. They moved quickly and smoothly with the music, as though they were meant to do this.

The final chorus came on, and the two did not slow down at all. As the music came to a stop, they didn't, in fact, they looked as though they weren't even listening to the music.

A slower song came on, and Scott pulled her close, but neither ever took their eyes off the other.

Greg watched, rocking uneasily in his seat, nervous.

Scott held Lana as close as he could without making her uncomfortable. "Lana," Scott began, taking a deep breath, "there's no easy way to say this . . ."

Greg couldn't take it any longer. He got up, and cut right in, taking Lana away from Scott without saying anything.

Scott stood there, shocked. What was wrong with him!

Lana seemed shocked as well. Even though she danced with Greg, she watched Scott the entire time, willing him to finish his sentence.

Greg tried to turn her, but it didn't have the same effect or effort as when Scott had done it.

Scott decided two could play this game. The song began to change again, this time another up-  
beat one. He walked over, and cut in on Lana and Greg, this time announcing himself, but not waiting for a reply.

Lana stared happily into his eyes again, as he began swinging her around, and dancing with her. "Now, where were you?" she asked flirtatiously.

He looked deeply into her eyes. "Lana . . . ," he began, continuing to dance, "about the suicide thing . . ."

"Yes?" she said, dancing on her own, but still close enough to him that people knew they were together. "What about it?"

He took a deep breath, and stopped dancing. "I did it to be with you."

She stopped dancing too. Silence was all that came. Finally she asked, "What did you say?"

He took her hands. "Lana, after you left, there was nothing left for me. I thought . . . I thought if I killed myself, I could be with you again . . . You have to understand how deeply depressed I was . . . I loved you . . . I still do." Scott looked right at her, hoping she'd say _something_.

Lana stared at him, wide-eyed. "I . . . I . . ." Lana looked down, and let go of his hands. "I need to think about this, Scott." She walked away, picked up her purse, and ran for the exit.

Greg came up to him then. He watched with Scott as Lana went into the parking lot. "Well now you've done it, fly-boy."

Scott turned towards Greg, anger filling him. "_What_ is your problem! You're being such a jerk!"

"Hey, nothing like a little friendly competition, eh, fly-boy? Or are you not used to that where you come from?" Greg pushed him slightly.

That was it. Scott had enough. He pushed him back, only harder. "_Don't_ call me fly-boy!"

Greg came back even madder. "You don't love Lana, _I_ do!" His fist swung at Scott's face.

Scott narrowly dodged it. "You don't know the first thing about her!" His fist swung back.

Before long, words were no longer being exchanged (apart from a few four-letter ones here and there). Fists and kicks flew threw the air, as music continued to play.

"Hey!" a club-worker yelled. "Break it up!"

The fight continued anyway, cheers from other customers edging them on.

-

Lana was standing outside the club, holding her sides, crying her eyes out. _Why does everything have to be so complicated?_

The cigarette smoke from a group standing a few metres away from her filled her lungs, making her cough. She felt horrible. For everything. The way she treated Scott, the way she flirted with Greg . . . everything.

Lana turned and stared at the door. Part of her thanked them for not coming after her, giving her time to herself. But another part was angry that they hadn't come after her.

She turned back, and more tears streamed from her eyes. She was so confused! She was sure she loved Greg . . . but what about Scott? Why couldn't she stand the thought of letting him go either?

And there was only a week left.

The doors beside her flew open, and two men fell face-first into the gravel. Lana gasped at all their scrapes and bruises, but she realized quickly that at least _some_ must have been obtained inside. The two groaned and moved a bit, trying to get up.

"Get out of here!" the angry club-owner yelled. "And don't come back!" The door slammed, and the two men got up, brushing themselves off.

"Are you two alright?" she asked, rushing over. She got one look at the two, and gasped. "You . . . you _idiots!_ What were you two _doing_ in there!"

Scott shrugged, and brushed off his shoulder, wincing in doing so. "Just a slight disagreement . . . that's all." His eyes shut in pain, one of them already turning black.

Greg looked over at Scott, his left eye black as well. "Yeah, some disagreement."

Lana's arms were folded. "You two need to calm down. I don't want you guys to get thrown out _again_."

The two had monotones. "Yes, Lana . . ."

"Good," she said crisply, "now, c'mon. We're going _home_." She turned and walked towards the car.

Greg stepped in front of Scott, limping all the way to the car. Scott followed behind, an angry expression plastered on his face as he held his battered shoulder.

-

Jeff watched, completely lost in thought, as the sun arose over Tracy Island.

Tessa would be coming home that afternoon, and with her, the house would be full of life.

_Or will it . . .?_ he thought. Her first call had been distressed, as Virgil had described. She seemed like she wanted to come back, but knew she needed time. She had called again late last night, but only to let him know that she would be coming home in the afternoon, and that she didn't want any fuss what-so-ever when she arrived. Tess had been on the phone all of two minutes, he recalled, and she didn't even _want_ to talk to Virgil.

Jeff leaned against the balcony railing. To be honest, he was worried. He always worried when Tessa went to visit her father, but this time more so. Why was she so upset? Had her father turned her against them?

He knew he shouldn't worry, but when she specifically told Jeff that she did _not_ want to talk to Virgil, he got scared. She loved Virgil with all her heart, so why wouldn't she talk to him?

He turned and saw Penny through the window. She was in her silk housecoat, and was helping Kyrano in the kitchen . . . or trying.

Jeff's thoughts returned to Penelope, as they had often done over the past twenty-four hours.

_Does she really feel that way?_ Jeff asked himself. How had he missed it? He'd known her for many years now . . . so why, all of the sudden, was he just realizing that she had indeed fallen for him?

His mind wandered over the past years. Her smiling and saying, "Good morning, Mr. Tracy," when they worked at the Bureau . . . her blush when he talked to her about International Rescue . . . her agreeing to take part . . . come to think of it, every time he saw her, she had been smiling.

_Why didn't I notice before!_ he chastised.

Jeff felt like such a fool. And he led her on! Or, at least, that's how he felt. He could've said something, after all. He couldn't go out with Penny . . . he was still in love with somebody else.

His wife.

For even though she had been dead many years now, Jeff still loved her every bit as much as the day he'd proposed.

-

Tessa wiped the last tear from her eye with the last Kleenex in her box. She tossed it in the basket, and watched as the ground drew closer.

She'd made a promise to herself not to cry anymore. She'd made a promise it would soon be over. She made a promise not to let anything happen to herself that had happened to her mother.

She sniffed, withholding anymore tears. Virgil would be on the ground . . . maybe he would calm her nerves.

That is, if she decided to tell him.

Which was another promise she'd made: she wasn't going to tell anyone.

Tessa was certain now that the only father she truly had was Jeff. She wanted no more to do with that man sitting in a prison cell, waiting for his sentence to be up. This had been the final straw.

When she'd stared into those cold, unfamiliar eyes, she knew that her relationship with her father was gone.

He'd begged her to forgive him. He'd pleaded with her not to go. He promised her nothing bad would happen anymore.

"Too little, too late," she'd spat back in his face.

The plane touched the ground, and Tess prepared to get out. She grabbed her bags and, once the plane had stopped, walked towards the door.

She opened it to find Virgil at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled at him, her heart still broken inside.

He ran up the stairs, and grabbed her. His lips fell to hers, and she knew then they'd both been waiting to long to kiss each other again.

She stayed in his arms for what seemed like forever. Finally, she broke away, and picked up a bag, Virgil having grabbed the other one. Her hand held his, and they raced down the steps together.

Just as she'd requested, no one was on the ground.

They slowed to a walk as they reached the pathway leading to the door. "So," Virgil began, "how was your visit with father dearest?"

She sighed, her hand resting on the doorknob. "Frankly, Virgil, a far as I'm concerned . . . I don't _have_ a father anymore." She turned it, ignoring the stunned expression on her fiancé's face.

-

"OW!" Scott screeched in pain.

"Well, if you would hold _still_, it wouldn't hurt!" Gordon countered, as he continued wrapping Scott's shoulder.

Gordon had woken up that morning to find Scott lying over a hotel room chair like someone's discarded coat. He had gasped when he saw the bloody mess.

Now he sat across from him, bandaging his eldest brother.

"Scott, only one question remains lodged in my mind right now," he informed his brother.

"Yeah," Scott asked, though clenched teeth, "what's _that_!"

"_Just what were you thinking! Dad's gonna kill you!_"

Scott was silent as his brother fastened the wrap around his shoulder. His voice was just a whisper. "He said I should give it up. He told me that I wasn't good enough for her. He said she wanted a _doctor_ not a 'fly-boy'." There was bitterness in his voice.

Gordon just sat there, in complete disbelief. "He said that? _Greg Peterson_, the man who helps people gain memories, and plays with children, said that?"

Scott nodded, not looking at his brother.

Gordon was silent for a moment. "Did you hit him back?" he asked.

-

Over the next couple days, Lana barely left her room. Sure, occasionally Greg or Scott would come in, ask her out, but she would insist on staying inside. Somehow, Lana felt like if she stayed in her room long enough, everyone would work out their problems themselves.

Simone had given her a suitcase, and had started helping her pack. Lana had told her she could handle it on her own, and that's where she was now. Folding underwear in her room.

Lana placed some clothes in her bag absentmindedly. She stood up, and stared out the window.

It was hard to believe that just day ago, Scott had been standing there, telling her he knew about Greg . . . but that he still loved her anyway.

She leaned against the window, completely miserable. _I don't deserve a man like Scott, _she thought. _He forgives me . . . even though I cheated on him. _

Some people may say that cheating was too strong of a word, but that's how she thought of herself. A cheater. When they had found each other again, she made no attempt at all to tell him she was in love with somebody else.

Scott was a loyal, forgiving man. He worshipped the ground she walked on. If she said jump, he'd do it, no questions asked.

Greg was wonderful, too, though. And she loved him so much.

Why was this so hard? Every time she came to a decision, she just couldn't say anything.

There came a knock on her door. She turned, a tear streaking her cheek. She rubbed at it. "Come in."

The door creaked open, and Libby walked in. She was dressed in a pink sun dress, a teddy bear clutched under her arm. When she looked at Lana she ran over to her, and clung to her leg. "Oh, Lawna, whas wrong?" she asked innocently.

Lana patted her head. "Oh, you wouldn't understand, Libby."

Libby shook her head. "Nah-_uh_. Mommy said dat Dokter Gweg said that I could gow home now. And I underswtood."

Lana smiled. "You're going too?"

Libby nodded. "I'm gowing home today. Dokter Gweg says I'm awll better now."

"Good for you, Libby. I knew you'd get better. Doctor Greg says I can go home in a couple of days too."

She looked up. "Rewee?"

Lana nodded. "Yes."

Libby pouted. "Will you come and visit me? Can I visit you?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Libby . . . I don't know _where_ I'm going when I leave."

Libby gasped. "Don't you hawve a home? Cuz my mumma towl' me dat sum people don't got a home, and they live in property."

She laughed. "_Poverty_, Libby. And, no, I _do_ have a home. I just have too many . . . Greg, erm, _Doctor_ Greg asked me to live here, and my friend Mr. Tracy-"

"Wish one?" Libby interrupted.

She thought for a moment, remembering Gordon. "The . . . _older_ one. Anyway, he asked me to live on his island, and my family will want me to live with them. So I have _three_ homes."

Libby thought for a moment. "I don't wanna be a gwown-up . . . it's too constipated."

Lana bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Yes, being a grown-up can get very _constipated_ at times. But it's worth it in the end."

-

Tess slammed her bedroom door shut in his face. "Virgil! How many times do I _have_ to tell you! _I don't want to talk about it!_ The subject of my _father_ is _off-limits!_"

"I am your _fiancé_! We aren't _supposed_ to keep secrets!" he thundered back. His anger was actually quite horrifying, and the rest of the people residing on Tracy Island were outside . . . not that it did much to stop from hearing.

Tess did her part in the yelling pretty well, too. "_Yeah_! How come I didn't know about Frodo until a couple of weeks ago!"

"He's not _my_ pet! Go yell at Alan if you want to talk about Frodo!"

"That's not the point!"

Virgil slammed his arm against the wooden door frame, a loud bang sounding. "Well then what _is_ your point! I would _love_ to know why you don't want your own father at _our_ wedding!"

She turned towards the door and yelled as loud as she could at it. "Can't you see I'm having a family _crisis_ right now! I need time alone!"

There was a pause. Virgil's voice was lower, but he was still _very_ angry. "I don't see or hear from you for _four days_. You come home, give me a quick peck, then brush me off for the next _three days_._ That's a week! What_ is going _on! Let me in!_"

Tess sat on her bed, her hands covering her face. Sobs escaped, and not for the first time that day. _Why can't he understand?_ she asked herself.

The door creaked open, then closed again. Virgil quietly walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Tess. I _really_ am. I didn't mean to yell . . . I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Her arms went around him, and she kissed him back. "I love you, Virgil . . . but I'm . . . worried."

"Why, Tess?" he asked, pulling back slightly. He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face.

She sniffed. "When my parents got married, they thought they were living the fairy tale. You know . . . good families . . . wealthy . . . baby on the way . . . the works. But then . . . oh, Virgil." She looked into his eyes. "Darling, I don't want us to be like my parents. What if we turn out that way? What if we're not ready for this? What if-"

Virgil smiled. "What if Martians invade Earth, and we all get turned into cheese? Darling, I love you. I would never do _anything_ to hurt you. My _job_ is to save people, not harm them. Don't you think I'd do the same for you?"

She smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.

He held her chin, and looked her directly in the eyes. "Tessa, remember when you were kidnapped?"

She laughed. "Which time?"

He smiled back. "The first. When your father did it?"

Tess's face fell. She nodded with the awful memory.

Virgil looked at her deeply again. "Even though I said I wouldn't, I went looking for you. Tessa, I couldn't leave you behind. I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you. I still can't."

A tear fell from Tess's cheek as she kissed her fiancé. It was all true.

When he broke away, Virgil smiled mischievously. "I have an idea. Why don't I leave, and you can get changed into your bathing suit? We can talk about your father later. A dip in the pool sounds fun, doesn't it?"

Tess nodded, unwrapping her arms.

He grinned. "Good. I'll go get changed." Virgil got up from the bed, and blew her a kiss, leaving the room.

But when he got to his room, he didn't immediately change. He had a better plan in mind.

-

Greg Peterson leaned forward in his office chair, elbows on his desk, staring at the clock hanging from the wall.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

What was he to do? He loved Lana, of that he was sure. But was he really willing to gamble his future with something that could very well turn sour?

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

He really did love her, but even if he chose to openly pursue her, there was still the matter of Scott. _He_ obviously had some infatuation with her as well. How was he to be rid of him?

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

Greg shifted his weight from elbow to elbow, gauging how well every option would go. Scaring Scott off had failed miserably. Ignoring Scott had made the situation worse . . . competing against him was doing absolutely nothing. What else was there to do? Egg Scott's house!

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

He was 31 for crying out loud! How many more chances would Greg get for love? Scott was only in his twenties still . . . he had his whole life practically left! Why steal someone else's girl, when you could find your own? Why couldn't Scott _get_ that!

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

Greg was working himself up. Why couldn't Scott just get a clue and be on his merry little way home? _Stupid Gordon_, he thought, kicking himself mentally. _Why did I have to do business with him? Nothing good has come of it! There won't be a _Lana Fitzgerald Emergency Ward - _heck, I wouldn't even have Lana Fitzgerald if Scott gets his way!_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

Greg leaned back in his chair, thoughts scattering in his mind. _What to do, what to do?_ Then a thought occurred to him: _I wonder where Scott's house _is

-

Virgil quietly crept through the house. He was still bone-dry. Tess was sitting in the pool, waiting for him. He replayed the conversation in his mind, complimenting himself on the good acting.

"_Come on, Darling, jump in! This _was_ your idea!" she yelled, splashing about._

"_Tess, did you remember the towels?" he asked, pretending to search._

_She rolled her eyes. "No . . . but, come on, honey, we don't _need_ towels! We'll call Alan, and make him get them. _Please_ come in?"_

_He bent over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be right back, Tess. It will only take a moment."_

_She smiled back, her arms folded on the edge of the pool, her head resting on her arms. "Don't be too long."_

_He smiled and kissed her again before leaving._

So now, here he was, on his secret mission. His arms held two towels, and nestled between them was what he hoped would reassure Tessa.

Virgil looked both ways before crossing the hall into her room. In one swift motion, he opened and closed the door, going straight to work.

-

Tess laughed as she tried to get out of the pool. Virgil grabbed her, trying to drag her back in. She turned around, letting him pull her back. She wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him. "Virgil . . . ," she said, against his lips.

"Yes?" he answered back, not letting her go. He continued kissing her.

"Can I please go inside now? I have moping I'd like to get back to." Her smile was loving as she kissed him back.

He leaned back, loosening his hold on her waist. He paused, thinking. "Hmmmm . . . _no_. I'm going to make sure you're happy for the rest of your life. So, no, you can't go back to moping." He leaned back in to kiss her again.

She accepted, but slowly moved towards the edge of the pool as she kissed him back. Her arms were just touching the cement when she heard the worst sound possible behind her.

_Step, step, step. . ._

She broke away abruptly, and turned, her worst fears realized.

Jeff stood on the cement, arms folded in front of him, a tight and furious look on his face. "_What_ is going on here?"

All the colour drained from Tessa's face. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She was as good as dead, and she knew it. At this rate, Tessa felt like she'd be lucky if she lived to see her own wedding day.

Virgil was shaking behind her. "H-Hi, Dad. We were just, you know . . . taking a little swim."

Jeff tilted his head, a smile on his face that told them they were in dangerous territory. "Really? Funny . . . I saw splashing. I saw kissing. I saw a _lot_ of stuff happening in this pool, Virgil, but no swimming."

The pair stood in the pool, completely still. No words came out of their mouths.

He held a finger up. "Double chores for a week. And I don't care where my other sons are, you two are _both_ suspended again. For _two_ weeks." Having said that, he turned around and walked back inside.

Tess folded her arms against the edge of the pool again, her head resting in them. Virgil smacked the water in anger. "Crap! Ugh!" he yelled.

Tess shook her head. "Why does this _always_ happen to _us_? Why not Tin-tin, or Alan, or Scott? Why _us?_"

Virgil shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know. C'mon. Let's go inside." He waded his way to the edge, hoping out smoothly. Tessa followed him.

Virgil picked up the stack of towels, and handed her the one on top. They quickly dried themselves, and silently began their way back towards the house.

He put an arm around her waist. "There's something I want to show you, in your room."

Tess tilted her head ever-so slightly. "In my room?"

He shrugged. Virgil slid the door open, and they made their way to her room.

Tessa reached for the doorknob, but Virgil was insistent on opening it himself. As the door slowly swung open, she peered inside, and covered her mouth.

Tess stepped inside. Her smile reached ear to ear. "Virgil! This is so nice! How thoughtful!" She turned and pulled his face to hers, kissing him as wholeheartedly as possible (given the situation).

Plastered all over her mirror, desk, and wall was all she needed to know. Hundreds of post-its in various colours covered every surface. And they all read the same thing: "I love you Tessa. I always have. I always will."

-

Gordon had just clicked his suitcase shut when Scott opened the door that joined their rooms.

His brother rushed over to him. "What on _Earth_ do you think you're doing!"

Gordon shrugged, picking up the first of two suitcases, and walking it towards the door. "I'm leaving."

Scott was in utter shock. "But _why_?"

He set down the suitcase, and walked back to where the other one lay empty on his bed. He opened it, and started putting in folded shirts. "Well, see, the whole deal is off. I mean, Lana's alive - which is good, don't get me wrong. But the whole idea was that it would be a _memorial_ for her. I would go ahead with it anyway, and just rename it, but since you've come, my buddy Henrik wants nothing to do with it. And I can't do it alone. So, on my way to Vegas, I figure I'll drop a huge, anonymous check in at the hospital, same amount as what I would have spent on the wing. Does that help any?" he asked, smiling.

Scott was staring at his brother, trying to let it sink in. "I . . . I guess it does make sense, then. But . . . what was that about Vegas?"

Gordon smiled, now placing pants in his suitcase. "Las Vegas. Dude, after this whole trip, I need a serious break. I'm heading down there where I can relax. No hospitals. No amnesiacs. No love triangles. Just gambling . . . a _lot_ of gambling." He zipped up the second, smaller suitcase, and walked towards the door. Scott followed him, picking up the first before he could.

Gordon opened the door, and they began walking downstairs. "I've already called dad, and he said it was fine with him. I had to do a lot of tiptoeing around facts, though. I figured you didn't really want him to know about Lana."

Scott laughed. "Yeah . . . I really want to see the look on his face when he finds out."

Gordon chuckled as they reached the elevator. He took his bag from his eldest brother, and stepped inside. "See ya in a few days, bro?"

Scott nodded, giving him a mock salute. "See ya at home."

The elevator doors shut, but Scott stood there for a few minutes, wondering what he was going to do to get Lana back.

A bellhop walked by, carrying an enormous arrangement of flowers. Scott had to think about it for a minute. He shrugged, heading back to his room.

_It's not much_, he thought, _but it's a start._

_-_

Jeff was standing on the balcony the next morning. He was still pondering what to do.

Everything was a mess right now. Alan and Tess weren't on speaking terms over the Frodo thing. Virgil and Tess were suspended. Penelope was in love with him. Gordon was in Vegas because he was having "issues" - whatever that meant. His son, Scott, was saying absolutely nothing. And, of course, as things would go, John had called to let him know he'd sprained his ankle on Thunderbird 5.

So far, this was not turning out to be a good week.

Jeff's face was buried within his hands. _Come on, God . . . can't I just have _one_ problem at a time? Just one? You know, the number between zero and two?_

Why was Penny in love with him? He was no prize. He cussed, he was old, he had _five_ kids. . . he wasn't anything special! And besides, he didn't have those feelings for her.

He heard a noise, and looked through the window to see Penny in the kitchen, again, this morning. This time, though, she was alone. Her silk pink thigh-length housecoat pulled up as she reached for a jar on the top shelf. He watched her, memorized.

At least, he didn't _think_ he had those feelings for her . . .

-

Scott was practically bouncing as he walked towards the florist. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining over the busy city, and not a single cloud lined the sky.

He turned a corner, hoping he would be able to put his plan into action.

As he opened the door to the flower shop, a small bell tingled, announcing his arrival. He walked in, marvelling at all the flowers, covering almost every available space.

A short, stocky man came out from a door in the back. "Welcome, sir!" he proclaimed, in an accent Scott was unfamiliar with, "How may I help you today?"

Scott's smile was friendly. "I'd like a dozen roses, please."

The man pointed to a corner, _piled _with roses. "What colour? We have red, pink, white, blue, orange, purple-"

Scott's smile fell slightly, thinking this man may very well be a nut-job. "White, please."

The man shrugged. "If you like it plain and simple, so be it." He picked up a package filled with twelve freshly-cut, long-stemmed roses, and made his way to the counter.

As he began punching in numbers, Scott looked behind him to see a wall covered in _plastic_ flowers. Suddenly, his mind churned with an idea. "Can I also get one of those _fake_ roses in red, please?"

The man's eyebrows knit together, forming one. He looked behind him, then back to Scott. "Are you sure? I usually only keep those around for cheapskates."

Scott laughed. "Trust me on this one. I have a plan."

The man shrugged again, and picked a beautiful, plastic rose off the wall. He pressed a couple of buttons on the cash machine, and a receipt started printing. "That will be $40."

Scott dug out his wallet, and slapped two twenties on the desk. The man took them, and handed him his flowers, the red one perched in the centre of the others, looking _obviously_ fake. "Thank you . . . and I hope your mother likes her flowers."

Scott was perplexed. "What makes you think these are for my mother?"

The man looked like it was obvious. "Because only a mother wouldn't smack you for getting her a fake flower."

Scott shook his head, and walked out the door. He had just one more stop to make before heading to the hospital. The travel agency was just down the road, and he needed to book a flight home.

-

Tess had been jogging since 5:30 that morning. This had gone on for a couple of days now. She would fall asleep, then wake up early. Unable to get back to sleep, she would get up, and start jogging around outside, so as not to disturb anyone else.

And it helped her. She would get her time to think just to herself. About her mother . . . her father . . . her sister.

Why was everything complicated? Why couldn't she have a normal life? Everything had been better for her before she washed up! Her father was dead to her . . . her sister was alive . . . she had a job, a home, a family. Instead of being one of those crazy people going into fires, and earthquakes, she read about them and heard about them on TV. Sure, she had been in poverty, but she had a simple, uncomplicated life above a coffee shop.

But, then again, her life seemed to have only started when she washed up. She finally found love. She had a father again. People she thought she'd never see again were right there. And, sure, her job didn't pay . . . but she came home from it knowing she'd done something better than fill people's stomachs.

She began to head up to the house. It was about 7 am now, and she was hungry. Some peanut butter on toast sounded really good right about now.

She sighed. She wished she could share breakfast this morning with Virgil. But that was forbidden. Why did Jeff have to be so mean? Why couldn't he understand what it felt like to love someone with all your heart!

She opened the door to the house, thinking of what evil things she could do to Jeff's shoes.

Tessa walked inside. Everything was quiet, completely. It was only somewhat strange to her. Jeff and usually at least one of the boys were up now, so there should be some sounds. But there was nothing.

She rounded a corner, and stood in the entrance of the hallway. Her jaw almost literally hit the ground.

-

Lana fiddled with her hands as she lay on the covers of her bed. Her bags were all packed, and sitting at her feet.

Scott would be here any minute. He'd called and told her he was coming, which was unusual.

She was a little upset. She thought she'd finally come to a decision. She loved Greg, and that was that. Sure, she had feelings for Scott, but she was sure those would all fade away. After all, when had he really showed her that he loved her? Greg was always giving her small things, even if he couldn't really afford it. She knew love didn't come from a store, but it was nice to know you were appreciated once in awhile. Greg and she were solid.

But how to break the news to Scott?

There came a knock on her door, and she took a deep breath. She sat up in bed, swinging her legs over the side. "Come in."

Scott entered, and she could clearly see he was holding a bouquet of flowers behind his back.

He sat on the bed next to her. She swallowed, and tried to begin. "Listen - Scott, I . . ."

He was puzzled, as though he didn't expect her to say anything. "Yes?"

"I have feelings for you, but . . ." It still wouldn't come out. Why wouldn't it come out! It was as though her brain was shutting off all muscles to her mouth.

He sat there, waiting silently for a response. After a minute or so, he spoke. "Well, uh, _okay_ . . . I know that. Here, I bought these for you." He handed her the flowers, a look on his face that said they had significant meaning.

She took them, smiling happily. Lana loved flowers, especially roses. It was one of her few feminine qualities. It was often one looked over, especially by Greg, because she was a tomboy.

She looked at them though. Why was there one fake rose? It stood out among the others because of its vibrant colour and shine. _Why would he put one fake rose in with all of these beautiful real ones? It makes no sense!_

Scott took her hand in both of his, and their eyes locked. His voice was determined, yet gentle and caring. "Lana Fitzgerald, I will love you until the last rose in the bouquet dies."

Lana softened at his words. _He really cares . . ._ "That's so sweet, Scott . . ."

He was obviously happy with her reaction. But, was it just her, or did a look of nervousness cross his eyes?

Scott dug in his back pocket, and handed her an envelope.

She set the roses beside her on the bed, and opened the envelope. Inside, there were two plane tickets. Her face lit up.

He held her free hand again. "Come with me, Lana."

She smiled. "I love you, Scott. I would go anywhere with you." She leaned forward, and kissed him with more emotion than she thought she ever had.

When she broke free, she still couldn't believe it. Her smile seemed to spread across her whole face . . . but Scott still looked nervous.

Had she missed something?

She took out the plane tickets, and looked more closely at them. Something wasn't quite right . . . then she saw it. The location. Her hand went to her chest, and she gasped.

She turned towards Scott, an excited look in her eyes. "Really! Do you really mean it!"

He nodded, smiling broadly. She held him tight, loving him more than ever.


	5. Beginnings and Endings

Chapter 5: Beginnings and Endings

"Another, please," Gordon said to the bartender, holding up his glass. The man came over and took it.

"Sir, are you sure you haven't had enough?" the bartender asked.

Gordon looked puzzled. "That'll only be my second one . . ."

The bartender shrugged, clearly uninterested. He went off to get Gordon another light beer.

A lady parked herself on the stool next to his. Her wavy, ultra-long dark hair fell behind her. "Beer, please," was all she said. Her voice was mysterious, much like Simone's was, only less eery. She had a body like Shakira, only more mystical. Her top was a white spaghetti-strap tank top, and her jeans were almost skin-tight. Something about her intrigued Gordon greatly.

The bartender came back with bottles for each of them. Gordon poured his back in a glass, and she drank straight from the bottle.

Gordon watched her. She looked stressed.

She turned and looked at him. Her ice blue eyes startled him. They seemed so familiar . . .

"Rough day?" she asked him, trying to be friendly.

He laughed slightly, taking a drink. "Rough _month_ more like. Family issues."

Her eyebrows rose. "I hear ya." She raised her bottle, and took a swig. "How bad is it on your end?"

He shrugged. "I tried to help my brother get over his dead girlfriend by helping a doctor build a memorial for her. Turns out she's alive and dating that doctor."

She seemed surprised. "Hmm . . . complicated."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, taking another drink, "So, what's your story?"

She laughed. "Far too long to explain. Basically, I had a family reunion, and it didn't go so well. Fact, it didn't go at _all_. No love lost between any of us. So, now, I'm back home in Nevada, where I can _relax_."

Gordon tilted his head. "That doesn't sound all that weird."

Her laughter was great, and her smile was broad. "You have no idea. Let's put it this way: your imagination can't even _begin_ to discover my family. You know what? Let's change the subject. What business are you in?"

Gordon thought for a moment. "Well . . . emergency rescue services."

She seemed delighted. Gordon hoped he was making a good impression with her. "Really? What do you work in? Like, fires, air . . .?"

"Mostly underwater. Though it can be mixed. I'm trained to handle a lot of things."

She smiled flirtatiously at him. "Very nice."

He smiled back. "So, what business are _you_ in?"

She thought. "Well . . ."

A cell phone rang. _Of all the times for it to go off!_ Gordon thought, answering it.

The girl listened as he talked, hoping he wouldn't leave. She quite enjoyed him.

"Hello? . . . aw . . . wait, what? . . . well, whatever . . . _whatever_ . . . _goodbye_." He closed the phone, and placed it in his back pocket. He pulled out a couple of bills from his wallet, and left them on the counter for the bartender, paying for her drink as well.

Gordon turned to the dark-haired beauty. He just watched her for a moment. "Would you like to come with me? Some place a little more . . ._seclusive_? It's a very . . . _unique_ situation I'm in. I can explain on the way."

She stood up, smiling. "Sure. I don't usually go out with guys I meet in bars . . . but there's something about you, Mister . . . ?"

"Tracy," he said, holding out his hand for her to take, "Gordon Tracy."

She placed her hand in his and shook it. "There's something different about you, Gordon Tracy."

"I get that a lot," he replied, pulling her up with his hand effortlessly. "Now, may I ask what _your_ name is, Miss?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Mimosa . . . Mimosa Granger."

-

Jeff hadn't meant to do that. He _really_ hadn't. He had meant to tell Penelope she was going about this wrong. He was still in love with Lucy . . . and he was too old to go through the marriage thing again.

But something had overtaken him when he walked up to her. He'd placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered her name. "Penny . . ."

When she'd turned around, he was about to do what he'd practised in his head a thousand times. He was going to tell her he was sorry . . . he just didn't return those feelings.

But when she turned around, and looked at him . . . he'd bent down and kissed her.

At first she'd seemed surprised - taken aback even. But then she softened, and returned the kiss. Her hands slipped around his neck, and his around her waist. The kiss deepened. He pulled her in closer to him.

That would be the second everything went horribly wrong.

"Ahem!"

He broke away from the kiss abruptly, as did Penny. They both looked, arms still holding each other, across the room.

There stood Tessa, arms crossed, foot tapping, looking as though she might laugh at any given second. She took a few steps towards them, and stopped, staring coldly at him. "I had no _idea_ what a hypocrite you are, Jeff," was all she said, a mock smile spreading across her face.

Jeff had become as white as a sheet. Penny seemed just as bad. Her hands fell from around her neck, and his dropped to his sides.

Jeff swallowed. His mouth opened to say something, but Tess held up a finger to stop him. "It seems to me that when Virgil and I kissed like that, we were only . . . oh, I don't know, _suspended!_"

Jeff tried to speak again. "That was completely different from this."

She laughed. "Explain that to me, Jeff."

"You and Virgil are just children. Lady Penelope and I are both adults. We know to stop before things get out of hand."

Tess raised an eyebrow at him. "Lady Penelope is the same age as your eldest _son_. Whom - if you recall - I have dated. She and I also went to school together. We have the same values, and the same inhibitions."

"You were in an older class," Jeff countered.

Tess just kept smiling, knowing the odds were in her favour this time. "I was mature for my age. I still am. One can't go through all the crap I have and not be."

Penelope spoke up. "Look, this wasn't anything like what you and your fiancé were suspended for."

"Oh really," Tess began, stepping forward again, "well, why don't we just wake up the rest of the family, and ask them?"

Jeff's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't dare . . ."

Tess's evil grin - the same her father often bore - spread across her face. "Watch me. In six seconds flat, I can have Virgil out of bed and in this living room."

The two nodded, knowing they were caught. "Just, what do you want in order to keep quiet about this . . . incident, Tess?" Jeff bargained.

Tess began circling the two. "First of all, I obviously want myself and Virgil reinstated. Secondly, half the chores we currently have. Thirdly, I want no more of this 'no PDA what-so-ever' crap, because that's all it is - crap. You should be able to trust that nothing will happen between me and him. And finally . . . I _never_ want to have to visit _my_ father _again_." She stopped, staring intently at him.

Jeff looked surprised. What had happened between her and her father? "Why do you not want to visit your father?"

Tess looked angry at having him brought up now. Her eyes flashed green and cat-like, as they often did when she was extremely mad. "_Look_, there are some mistakes even _I_ can't forgive, okay! There are certain values I believe in, and he spat right on those. I can't even stand to look at the man now. I want him to know that." She looked Jeff square in the eye as she spoke. "Do we have a deal?"

Jeff's neck twitched. "Deal."

-

Tessa sat curled up next to Virgil on the sofa, her arms wrapped around his. Her smile put the sun to shame, it was so bright. Virgil kissed the top of her head, then pulled her up and kissed her directly on the lips.

"I love you," she announced, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He held her waist. "I love _you_, Tess. How did you convince my father to let us off the hook?"

She returned his kiss. "Darling, if I told you _that_, I'd be breaking my end of the bargain."

Shock was clearly plastered across his face. "You have something on _my father_?"

Tess's smile was that she had inherited from the Hood. "It's possible to get information on anyone, Virgil. Especially when that someone is trying to protect more than just themselves."

Virgil was confused. "Should I be worried about this? Is this secret going to change my life forever if it gets out?"

Tess laughed. "Virgil. Trust me . . . it won't get out. I don't want us in trouble again, and your dad will sooner die than reveal it. No, you should not be worried. But, yes, it will change your life forever if it gets out." She loved playing this game with Virgil.

He was curious. "Come on, Tessa, we're getting I_ married_. Please tell me?" He gave her the puppy face.

"Speaking of marriage," she began, changing the subject, "I want to get married sooner than we had planned. I know, we originally wanted to get married in the spring at the earliest. But, darling . . . could we get married sooner?"

He pulled her closer so he could look into her eyes. "How soon is sooner?"

"October . . ." she said, wincing in preparation for his reaction.

He blinked. "October? Tess, that's only two months away . . . there's no way we could organize a whole wedding in that short of a time frame!"

Tess sat up, and held his hands in hers. "Virgil, I know how short a time it is . . . but my father . . . darling, he gets out of prison in November, and I'm quite sure he'll do something to stop us from getting married. Even if we get married in October, there's still a chance he'll do something."

Virgil could not believe what he was hearing! "How is he going to do something? He's in _maximum security prison_. And when he does get out, didn't he already agree that he'd accept this? Wasn't he supposed to be the one to give you away?"

Tess looked nervous. She looked behind her, and all around the room, before setting her eyes back to him. "Virgil . . . what I'm about to say will likely help you understand everything. The mysterious phone calls, the crying . . . everything. But this is top-secret; Virgil, what I'm about to say is not allowed to leave this room, alright?" She looked deeply in his eyes. "I want _no one_ to know about this."

He nodded. Virgil's interested was peaked, and he was frightened for his fiancée. "Alright. What's been going on?"

-

Penelope watched Jeff from where she sat in an armchair. His grip was firm on the phone, and his eyes were determined, listening to what his son was telling him. He nodded, uttering a few words in reply, before setting the phone down.

Penelope sighed, looking down at her feet. They were alone in the room, and that frightened her. "Well, what did Gordon have to say?"

Jeff walked over and took a seat next to her, on the sofa. "He says he'll be home late tomorrow afternoon, and that Scott told him he'd be back in a few days."

She arched an eyebrow. "A few days?"

He shrugged in response, neither looking at each other. "I asked Gordon about it, but he said that Scott had told him almost nothing. He said that Scott probably just wanted to 'say goodbye' or something." Jeff seemed almost flustered as he spoke.

There was nothing but silence between them for a long while. Penelope finally stole a glance at him, wanting to ask him so much. "Jeff . . . about . . . yesterday . . ."

He sighed, and turned to look at her. "We don't need to discuss it, Penny," he said softly. "I shouldn't have kissed you . . . I'm sorry."

Penelope bit her lip. She turned away slightly, no longer facing him. Her heart felt as though it had just been ripped apart, piece by piece. _Why did he say that? Why must he take back the best thing that's ever happened to me!_ Her eyes burned, and she feared tears would find her.

His head was down. "I didn't mean to be so bold. I never meant to hurt you."

Penelope smiled. She would try her hardest not to let her true emotions show. Society had always taught her to say and do what was expected of a woman in her class, and so she would follow protocol. "Of course, Jeff. I understand. One can get caught up in a moment, and things will happen that should not have. Excuse me." She got up, and headed towards her room, tears beginning to streak down her face.

-

As Gordon walked in the door, his shoulders felt as though the greatest weight in all of the Earth had just been lifted from them. As he stepped over the threshold, he was almost body-slammed by Tessa.

Her arms wrapped around him, and she held tight. "Welcome back, Gordon!"

This was slightly unusual for Gordon, as he and Tessa had never fully gotten along. He patted her on the back nervously, trying to break away while doing so. "It's . . . uh, good to be back?"

Tess let go, and walked back over to Virgil who waved in acknowledgement. His father came over then, and escorted him fully inside. "So, how did everything go? When will the facility be open?"

Gordon laughed. "Dad . . . it's _never_ going to open. The deal fell through."

Everyone in the room seemed shocked. "What!" Jeff asked, eyes wide. "Son, what happened?"

Gordon shrugged, dropping his bags. He smiled, trying to come up with something that would not give anything away - he and his brother had agreed that would be Scott's job. "Well . . . Mr. Peterson decided that he did not like the idea without Scott's permission, and when Scott caught wind of it, he didn't much care for the idea of a memorial either." He nodded to himself, pleased with his truthful lie.

Jeff was confused. "Well, then . . . why didn't you come home sooner?"

_Here we go with more "lies"._ "Well, I had Scott come down, and look at some blueprints, and then after that . . . we decided he'd be better off having someone with him while he went through some . . . _trying_ circumstances."

Tin-tin's eyebrows shot up. "_Trying_ circumstances? Gordon, please don't tip-toe around the facts - what has been going on!"

Gordon just smiled. "Wouldn't you all like to know." He grabbed his bags, and headed off in the direction of his room.

-

Tessa was worried - Lady Penelope hadn't shown up when Gordon touched down, and it was very unlike her to pull something like that. She also hadn't come to dinner.

Tess raised her hand to knock on Penny's door. "Penny? It's Tess . . . please let me in," she whispered.

The door opened, and Penelope was there, eyes red. Tess walked inside quickly, and closed the door. "Oh, Penny . . ."

Penelope sat down on the edge of her bed, her forehead in her palm. "How could I have been so stupid! This is my own fault!"

Tess sat down next to her, and took her hand. "What's happened?"

Penny sniffed, and looked at Tess. "He kissed me. After all these years of secretly adoring the man, he _finally_ shows me he returns my feelings. But what does he do the very next day? He apologizes, saying it was all a mistake."

Tess grabbed a tissue, and handed it to Penelope. "Oh, Penny . . . it's _not_ your fault. Jeff is just scared. This is more than likely the first time he's actually kissed a woman since his wife died. I shouldn't have said anything . . ."

Penny sniffed. "No, you were right in doing what you did. It was wrong of Jeff to penalize you and Virgil and then turn around and kiss me. But why did he have to pretend like he didn't mean it?"

Tessa laughed. "Penny, I highly doubt _anyone_ will _ever_ understand the things men do sometimes. I mean, remember Virgil's Christmas present for me?"

Penny laughed. "The wrench?"

Tess nodded. "Yes. The wrench. What was going through his mind when he gave me that, I've yet to find out." She looked at her straight in the eye. "Come on now, Penny. Let's get ready for when you leave tomorrow. You can wear your best dress, just to let him know what he's missing."

-

Jeff watched from the side of the runway as Penelope walked out the door. His breath seemed to disappear. She was beautiful in his eyes.

She walked down the winding pathway in her strappy pink stilettos. Her slender figure was enhanced by the sleeveless, pink silk, V-neck dress. A transparent shawl fell around her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, and around her neck was a set of pearls that she obviously hadn't picked up in a dollar store.

His eyes stayed on her and only her. He watched as she said goodbye to everyone besides him. First Tess, then Virgil, Tin-tin, Alan, Gordon, Brains, Kyrano, and then finally . . .

"So long, Jeff," was all she said, a simple, polite smile on her face.

He swallowed. "So long," he repeated, unable to find adequate words.

Her smile continued, as she stepped into FAB1. "Give my best to John and Scott." She winked at Gordon, and he smiled back. Jeff knew his sons, and instantly recognized that Penelope and Gordon were sharing a secret.

The door and hood to her car closed, and Parker gave a final goodbye to everyone before starting up the engine. The boys watched in fascination as the car took off, a jet starting to propel it into the air. They raised their hands and waved.

Jeff couldn't help but feel as though a part of him was leaving with her. How hard it had been to apologize to her. Jeff really meant it when he had kissed her, and taking it back didn't feel quite right.

In any case, though, he would have to carry on as though nothing ever happened. His son would be coming home in two days, and he needed to be ready.

-

Scott kissed Lana as Kyrano began to approach the island.

Lana smiled, blushing. "You're sure they won't fall over and have a heart attack when they see me?"

He laughed. "Now, I didn't say _that_. They just might do that. But they will still be happy to see you."

"We are about to land, Mister Tracy, Miss. Fitzgerald," Kyrano spoke up, oblivious to their conversation.

Scott turned towards the cabin, her hand encased in his. "Thank you, Kyrano. We have our seatbelts fastened," he turned towards Lana, "Ready, dear?"

She kissed him. "Ready as I'll ever be to meet your family."

He rolled his eyes. "You won't be _meeting_ them. They already know you."

"Yes, but honey, _that_ was under different circumstances."

The plane bounced as it landed on the runway. "Now, you remember what we decided?"

She nodded, laughing. The plane came to a stop, and Kyrano opened the door. "I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you too," he whispered back. He held her hand tight, and walked her to the door. He appeared first, hiding her.

"Scott! Welcome home!" Virgil yelled.

"Good to see you smile!" Tess yelled.

"Welcome back, son," his father smiled up at him.

Scott grinned broadly. "Good to be back, everyone."

Gordon grinned at his brother. "Show 'em what you found in Canada!" he yelled.

Scott forged being surprised. "Oh ya! I hope you don't mind, I found this up North, and I just couldn't leave it behind."

There was a collective gasp as he pulled Lana onto the plane staircase, and walked with him down to the ground. He looked at her, and smiled. A blush swept across her cheeks. "Can we keep her, Dad?" he asked quietly.

Jeff was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked. "That can't be . . ."

"But she's dead!" Tess yelled.

Gordon nodded, smiling in spite of everyone around him. "See why I couldn't build the memorial now? Turns out a certain doctor I know was helping her recover her lost marbles."

Lana imitated a look of dislike in Gordon's direction.

Scott turned to his father. "So, Dad, can she stay?"

Jeff smiled. "I don't see why not. If that's alright with her."

Lana and Scott looked at each other. "Oh, I'm perfectly alright with it." They both were silent for a moment, breathing deeply. She stared directly into Scott's eyes. "We're married."

Another wave of shock swept through the crowd. Lana smiled as she held up her left hand, revealing a gold band with a stone inside of it. Scott looked over at his brother. "Gordon told me he was going to Vegas, and I thought it would be a wonderful idea if we got married there. We needed a couple of witnesses anyway, so Gordon came and brought a friend with him."

Alan turned towards Gordon. "And they would be . . .?"

He shrugged. "A girl I met in a bar. I got her name and number, though. You know me, I'm not the love-them-and-leave-them type."

Tess rolled her eyes. "Sure you aren't."

There was silence, and everyone turned towards Jeff to gauge his reaction on this whole situation. He was silent for a moment, his head bowed. When he looked up, he smiled at his first child. "You know, I always pictured my sons getting married in a big ceremony, with a huge announcement in the papers, and everyone we know invited. Instead, one of my sons runs off to Vegas without anyone knowing, and another has decided he wants to run off and get married secretly." Jeff turned towards Virgil to emphasis his point. When he looked back at Scott though, his smile was bright. "But I still couldn't be prouder. Congratulations, son."

-

As the newlyweds walked in, the rest of the family was just bursting with questions.

"Where are the pictures!"

"What style of dress did you wear?"

"_Where_ are the pictures?"

"Did she make you wear a tuxedo?"

"Where are the PICTURES!"

"How long was the ceremony?"

"WHERE ARE THE PICTURES!" Tess yelled, trying to be heard over everyone.

Lana and Scott laughed. "Okay, okay, listen!" Scott began. "We opted to have the ceremony videotaped, _and_ we had a professional photographer come in and photograph us. The final results are being mailed to us when they are developed. Alright?"

Gordon was still quite curious. "One thing still bothers me," he began, speaking silently so only the two could hear him, "What _did_ Greg say when you told him you were marrying Scott?"

Lana smiled. "Well, first of all, I told him I had chosen Scott. And there was cussing, and pleading. Then I explained I was _marrying_ Scott, and there was more cussing, and Mr. Coffee Pot said, 'Hello' to Mr. Wall. Then I believe he turned around and asked Simone out to lunch."

Gordon laughed. "Sounds like something he'd do. Man, I'm sure not upset to lose that guy."

Tess came up next to him then, a mischievous smile on her face. "So, Gordo, exactly, who _was_ this girl you met in a bar?"

Gordon shrugged, trying to work his way around this. "A local. She lives in Las Vegas. Drinks pretty good beer."

Tess shook her head. "Yeah, okay, got that. But what does she _do_? Is she . . . an accountant? A salesperson? A _mailman_? Perhaps a CSI?"

Gordon smiled. "She's an artist. She draws pictures for comic books."

Tess's eyebrow raised. "Seriously?"

Gordon nodded, unable to believe she was so interested in this. "Yes. She also likes rock music and cheesecake. She's allergic to chalk. Her favourite colour is black. Are there anymore cliché questions I have failed to answer?"

Tess was insulted. "Geez, pal. All I did was ask a few questions about a seedy brunette you met in some seedy bar."

He shook his head, sitting on the sofa. "How'd you know she's brunette?"

Tess smiled. "Mind powers, remember? One of the few useful things my father gave me."

"What is it with you and your father lately? You seem to have developed a strong disliking for the man."

She laughed. "I think you just answered your own question."

-

Tess sat perched on the couch next to her fiancé, having a wonderful time flipping through the latest _Vogue_. Alan whole-heartedly supplied her with them monthly, in exchange for her silence on certain issues (i.e., the time when he told her it was safe to swim, and Scott was landing). Virgil sat next to her, reading over her shoulder despite the fact that he had no interest in any of the latest fashions.

The phone rang from across the room, and Jeff answered it at his desk. "Hello?" he asked formally. He held the phone out. "Tessa. It's for you."

Tessa placed the magazine down next to her, and stood up. "Who is it?"

Jeff shrugged. "Maximum security ward at London's largest and oldest prison."

Tess smiled falsely. "Oh." She walked over and took the receiver from Jeff's hand. Instead of placing it to her ear, however, she placed it back on its cradle, and walked back towards Virgil. "That might have been important, you know," he pointed out.

"The man is of no importance to me," she said simply, picking up the magazine again. The phone rang once more. Tess sighed, walking back over. She picked it up, immediately setting it back down. Just as she turned though, it rang again. Angrily, she picked it up and yelled in it, "_What _do you want from me!"

"Tessa, please, I know you're angry-"

"Angry?" she laughed, "Oh, I'm not angry. I'm down-right pi-"

"-None of that!" her father yelled. "Look, I've said I'm sorry, and that's all I can do. Why can't you accept that there's nothing more I can do?"

Tess was silent, tears welling up inside her. "I've forgiven you for so much, Dad. _So_ much. But it seems as though every time I forgive you, you turn around and do something worse. Please, Dad, let me live my own life. I want nothing to do with you anymore."

Her father paused. "You choose them over me? You choose a bunch of strangers over your own _family_?"

She laughed slightly. "Don't you see, Dad? _You're _the stranger. I don't know anything about you anymore. These people are my family. They love me. I love them."

"_I_ love you," he whispered back to her. She could tell he was almost crying too.

"I don't know if you do anymore," her eyes were glassed over with tears as she spoke, "But then again, they say it's easier to hurt the ones you love. So I guess you love me a _whole _lot."

When there was nothing but silence from the other end, she uttered only two words. "Goodbye, Dad." The phone was soon back on the cradle, signifying the end of not only the conversation, but their relationship.

-

The Hood handed the phone back to the guard, who hung it back on the wall. He placed his face in his hands. "What do I do? My eldest daughter will never speak to me again, all over something that happened years ago."

The guard said nothing. But he felt sorry for the man.

"Nothing was supposed to turn out like this. She wasn't supposed to fall in love and marry into that family - she was supposed to help me _destroy_ them. Just like my youngest wasn't supposed to die . . ."

He stood up then, knocking the table over. "Confound it all! She's my daughter, not Jeff's!"

The guard rushed over, and grabbed the Hood. "Mr. Belagant! You're going to have to calm yourself!"

The Hood knew he could easily gain a way out of this prison . . . but he knew that it was only a few short months until he'd be a free man, anyway. And in that time, he could formulate a plan.

He sat back down, smiling. "Alright, officer. Have I used up all my phone privileges for the month?"

The guard nodded. "One phone call per month, and only to a blood relative, in your case."

The Hood nodded, still smiling. "Alright then. Can I go back to my cell, now?"

The officer cuffed the Hood, and blind-folded him as a precaution. They began walking back down the hall.

The Hood may have been acting innocent on the outside, but on the inside, he was already picturing next month's call . . .

_Author's Note:_

Yes, I know, it is cruel to leave you hanging like that. Especially at the end of a fanfiction. But, trust me, I'll be starting work on another adventure of Tess's soon enough, and all questions will be answered . . .


End file.
